Vince Carter and Zion Williamson (Images Credits: Getty Images)
The New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot during the 2021-22 off-season, which kept him out for a year. In January 2023, he experienced a hamstring injury that ended his 2022-23 season. He missed his playoffs debut last season due to an injury in the play-in game. Nonetheless, as he recovers in the off-season, he remains confident about his dunking skills and claims he is better than an NBA legend.
During a recent appearance on the Overtime podcast, Williamson was asked to choose between Vince Carter and himself as the Dunk contest winner. While praising Carter for his exceptional skills, the Pelicans star chose himself over Carter. Williamson mentioned that injuries prevented him from showcasing his skills on the court.
“I’m going to give Vince his respect, but I got to take myself. I got nothing but love and respect for Vince. My dunk package is crazy; I just haven’t showcased it. I think when I get back to America, I’m going to start posting a few dunks just to remind people that I still got it.” Williamson said.
Former NBA player Carter, widely regarded as the greatest dunker of all time, played 22 seasons in the NBA. His “Dunk of Death” against France during the 2000 Summer Olympics is widely considered one of the most incredible dunks of all time. Williamson’s claim sparked a debate among NBA fans, who started criticizing him in the comment section of Legion Hoops’ post on X (formerly Twitter).
Williamson Chooses Carter as the Ultimate Dunker Over Two NBA Legends
LeBron James, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the legendary Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan are widely acclaimed for their dunking abilities. Jordan won the slam dunk contest twice, while James never participated in it during his professional career.
While discussing the best dunkers in NBA history, Williamson was asked who would win in a dunk contest between former NBA players Vince Carter, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
“I would have to go with prime Vince because of the power and creativity he had on his dunks. That doesn’t take away from Mike or LeBron. I think just Vince had more creative dunks.” Williamson said.
The next NBA season will start soon, and fans are hopeful that Williamson will perform better as he has recently undergone significant weight loss to prevent injuries.