Shaq created Dunkman after growing tired of the NBA dunk contest, giving 24 overlooked dunkers a shot at its $500,000 grand prize. Shaquille O’Neal has no interest in pretending the NBA dunk contest still delivers what he wants. His frustration became the foundation for Dunkman, a new competition built around athletes whose leaping ability has attracted attention online, even if they never reached the NBA. “In the last 15 years, we haven’t had a real top guy, we’ll call him out: Zion Williamson, participate in a dunk contest,” Shaq said. Salter described the larger mission as turning Dunkman into both a sustainable league and a profitable operation.