Former Duke basketball one-and-done and 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson hasn’t made his NBA Slam Dunk Contest debut. UNC basketball legend Vince Carter won the only one he ever needed to enter to cement his top-shelf status in the event’s history book.
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Given Williamson’s listed 6-foot-6, 285-pound frame as a Blue Devil and in each of his five seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, one could argue his 360 capabilities are at least somewhere near the stratosphere of the finishing touch to Carter’s 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest victory.
Either way, in Williamson’s recent sitdown chat with Overtime, the 24-year-old hinted at some in-air creativity that he hasn’t shown the world yet.
He paid respect to the 47-year-old Carter, who is set to see his jersey number head to the rafters in two NBA arenas this season. Still, when asked, Williamson said he’d prevail in a hypothetical dunk showdown against Carter in his prime.
That’s not to mention 1982 UNC basketball national champion Michael Jordan, who took home the contest’s hardware in 1987 and 1988, plus current Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (never entered).
LeBron vs MJ vs Vince Carter in a dunk contest would feed families 🗣️ @Zionwilliamson pic.twitter.com/zcWVJ9Zbdk
— Overtime (@overtime) September 27, 2024
“I would have to go with ‘Prime Vince’ [over Michael Jordan and LeBron James] because of power and creativity he had on his dunks,” Williamson explained. “That doesn’t take away from Mike nor LeBron. I just think Vince had more creative dunks…
“I’m gonna give Vince his respect, but I gotta take myself. I got nothing but love and respect for Vince…You know, my dunk package is crazy. I just haven’t showcased it…I think I’m gonna start posting a few dunks just to remind people that I still got it.”
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