Could Shaquille O’Neal’s new Dunkman League work with the NBA—and possibly revive the Association’s troubled dunk contest during All-Star Weekend?
That’s the question as Dunkman prepares for its second event on Tuesday night. So far, there have been no talks yet between the world’s first pro dunking league and the NBA. But O’Neal tells Front Office Sports his startup league could collaborate with the NBA down the road. Meanwhile, the Diesel is keeping his eye on the ball.
“We don’t see this as competing with the NBA, we see it as complementary. All ships rise,” O’Neal said in a statement to FOS. “Could we work with them down the line? Sure, but right now, the focus is building a successful dunking league, one that’s finally giving elite dunkers a real platform, something that’s never existed outside their own social media.
“Basketball is global, and we want to find the best dunkers in the world, not just the ones already in front of NBA cameras. Week One showed what that looks like, the excitement around those dunks proved this thing works. This is a league built to celebrate the sport of dunking, not a one-off event, and that’s the priority right now.”
The Hall of Fame center isn’t the only one who sees the possibilities of the new league co-founded by O’Neal, Authentic Brands Group, and TNT.
