Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Shaquille O’Neal has chosen words for former Lakers star LeBron James and New Orleans Pelicans’ cornerstone Zion Williamson over their refusal to participate in the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest during the All-Star weekend.
Talking to the Boardroom podcast, O’Neal is pissed to see the slam dunk contest deteriorate because of the lack of star power in the competition.
He then name-dropped James, who recently left the Lakers to sign a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Williamson, who remains with the Pelicans.
“I got absolutely sick and tired of being involved as a player and fan watching the NBA dunk contest,” Shaq said. “In the last 15 years we haven’t had a real top guy like LeBron. I’ll call him out. Zion Williamson, participate in the dunk contest. Then you got guys missing three, four, five dunks”
“I got absolutely sick and tired of being involved as a player and fan watching the NBA dunk contest… in the last 15 years we haven’t had a real top guy like LeBron. I’ll call him out. Zion Williamson, participate
NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest Decline
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 14: Keshad Johnson #16 of the Miami Heat dances after a dunk during the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)
The decline of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was most apparent in the 2020s, stemming from a lack of star power, risk of injury and an exhaustion of creative ideas.
The event, once the main event of a packed All-Star Saturday night, went from an All-Star showcase to a competition featuring bench players, rookies, or developmental standouts like Mac McClung, who won it from 2023 to 2025.
Dunk champions in the 2020s also include Derrick Jones Jr. (2020), Anfernee Simons (2021), Obi Toppin (2022), and Keshad Johnson (2026).
LeBron has long been pushed to participate in the dunk contest, but he never relented, even when he was in his physical prime in the 2010s.
On the other hand, Williamson was one of the most hyped No. 1 picks in recent history for his otherworldly athleticism and dunking repertoire. Yet, he remains outside the dunk contest radar since he came to the league in 2019.
James and Williamson, however, are known as two of the best in-game dunkers in the league.
When Was The NBA’s Last True Golden Era Of The Slam Dunk Contest?
GettyATLANTA – FEBRUARY 8: (L-R) Michael Jordan, Anthony “Spud” Webb, and Dominique Wilkins judge the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest during the 2003 NBA All-Star Weekend at Philips Arena on February 8, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
The last true era of major star power in the dunk contest took place in the late 2000s to early 2010s, highlighted by marquee names like Dwight Howard (2008 champion) and Blake Griffin (2011 champion).
Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon put on an iconic, star-making duel in 2016, though LaVine was a rising young talent rather than an established multi-time All-Star at the time. Donovan Mitchell won as a rookie in 2018.
In the 1990s, the contest also saw a sharp decline of stars until 1997 when Kobe Bryant of the Lakers won the competition
The late 1980s were widely considered the golden era of the event, where the league’s absolute biggest icons competed head-to-head. Among those who competed were Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Julius Erving, and Clyde Drexler.
The era was mostly remembered for the legendary 1988 dunk-off between Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in Chicago, which was capped by Jordan’s iconic free-throw line dunk.
Now, critics view it as repetitive or flat compared to the golden eras, though raw vertical leaps and creative midair contortions still deliver highlights.
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