Shaquille O'Neal selects the strongest starting five for dunking: Jordan and Carter included, Zion is the only active player chosen.

On April 13, former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal was asked to select the greatest dunkers in history to form a starting five, and he revealed his choices.

"Point guard, Spud Webb," O'Neal stated, "Shooting guard, Michael Jordan. Small forward, Vince Carter... Power forward, Shawn Kemp... Center is Zion Williamson."

O'Neal chose Spud Webb, nicknamed "Spud," as the point guard. He is the shortest player in NBA history to win the Slam Dunk Contest. Webb, standing only 1.68 meters tall, upset the legendary Dominique Wilkins in 1986. He also competed again in 1988 and 1989 but failed to reach the finals.

1988 was also Michael Jordan's final appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest. Jordan first competed in 1985, ultimately losing to Wilkins and finishing as runner-up. After a year off, he won his first Slam Dunk Contest title in 1987. In 1988, Jordan aimed to defend his title and faced Wilkins again in the finals. Jordan won this "rematch," becoming the first player to win the dunk contest twice. To date, Jordan remains one of only seven players who have won the contest multiple times.

Vince Carter, regarded by many as the greatest dunker in history, also deserves a spot, though he only participated in one Slam Dunk Contest. Carter competed in 2000 and won effortlessly, delivering a classic performance. Many consider Carter's performance one of the pinnacle moments in the history of the dunk contest. Unfortunately, we never saw him compete in the contest again.

Carter participated only once, while Shawn Kemp was a frequent contender. Kemp competed in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994; he was also scheduled to compete in 1993 but withdrew due to injury. Despite his numerous appearances, Kemp never won the contest. In 1991, he narrowly lost to Dee Brown and finished as runner-up, which was his closest brush with the trophy.

The last selection is New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, the only active player on this list. Zion's actual position is forward, not center, but O'Neal still placed him in the center spot. His dunks are incredibly dominant, yet he has never participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. Over the years, many have urged Zion to compete, but he has never agreed. However, he is only 25 years old, and hopefully one day we will see him on the dunk contest stage.

Overall, O'Neal's selected dunking lineup is quite intriguing. U.S. media noted that notable omissions include Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erring as strong contenders for the small forward position, and Nate Robinson as a popular choice for the point guard spot.

If you're curious about O'Neal's purely historical strongest starting five, his answer in 2025 was: Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, and himself. Michael Jordan is the only player appearing in both lineups.