Shaquille O’Neal and TNT Sports have teamed up to launch ‘Dunkman,’ the first professional league solely about dunking.
According to the press release, the new global league, which builds on the success of last year’s DUNKMAN television series, will transform dunk competitions into a fully realized professional sport, providing top dunkers from around the world the platform to showcase their talent.
The inaugural season, slated to debut this summer (2026), will feature 24 of the best dunkers competing live. The season will consist of four group stage events in which athletes battle for a spot in the DUNKMAN World Championship. Finalists will compete for the title of DUNKMAN World Champion and a grand prize of $500,000.
The first night of live competition will take place on Tuesday, July 21 at 8 p.m. ET. The world championships will air Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. ET with contestants competing for the grand prize.
O’Neal, who will be commissioner of the league, said:
“These athletes are innovators and DUNKMAN is going to give them a global stage, real stakes, and a chance to build careers doing what they love. We are transforming dunking from a one-night contest to the fastest growing professional sport off two feet.”
The live league events will air across TNT, TBS, truTV and HBO Max with additional content across DUNKMAN social channels, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and YouTube. The multiplatform presentations will give fans a closer look at the creativity, training, rivalries and unique personalities fueling the league.
Per Variety, for the new season, commentary will be provided by “dunk icon Vince Carter, NBA champion Draymond Green, popular hoops multiplatform creator CashNasty, and host Adam Lefkoe.”
For the 15-time NBA All-Star, the Dunkman league is his latest endeavor in sports entertainment among others. Through his multimedia company, Jersey Legends Productions, O’Neal released the Netflix series POWER MOVES in 2025. The six-episode documentary series follows O’Neal and Allen Iverson as they take on executive roles to lead Reebok’s brand resurgence.
The new league is presented by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Credit One Bank.