Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal threw down a two-handed slam dunk at age 54 during a Dunkman competition event at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. O'Neal also executed his signature leg kick, a move he admittedly copied from former NBA and Syracuse center Rony Seikaly.
The 7-foot-1 analyst walked onto the court to promote Dunkman, the Shaq-owned league and world's first professional competition dedicated exclusively to dunking. Produced by TNT Sports, the tournament pits 24 elite athletes against each other over several weeks for a $500,000 grand prize. O'Neal works at the arena as an NBA analyst for Inside the NBA, which is also produced by TNT Sports. Because the competitors are largely unknown to the public, O'Neal came off the bench to promote the league himself.
Online reaction to the dunk
While the crowd in Atlanta was impressed with the Big Aristotle's hops, critics online picked apart the accomplishment. Some social media users pointed to his 7-foot-1 frame, while others questioned whether the basket rim was set at the regulation 10 feet.
"That's the kinda rim I was dunking on in the driveway when I was 15," one fan wrote on X. Another user joked, "Let's do some leg days. The rim looks like it's at 9ft." However, some observers praised his physique, noting that "Shaq definitely lost weight," while another suggested the center could still play professionally, writing, "Shaq could still be a very useful and productive player in the Euroleague."
Dunking history and previous comments
O'Neal has been able to dunk since he was 17 years old and standing 6 feet 11 inches tall. For years prior to that milestone, he felt embarrassed by his inability to get over the rim despite towering over fully grown men.
When O'Neal announced the launch of Dunkman back in April, he downplayed the possibility of ever dunking again. "Never, never," he told Sports Illustrated at the time. "I'm sure if I worked out a little bit I could do it, but no." That stance changed this week when he took the court in Atlanta.
