Guess What Shaq’s Up to Now …

Published: April 10, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

Shaquille O’Neal teamed up with TNT Sports to launch the first-ever professional dunk league called the DUNKMAN league.

DUNKMAN, launched by O’Neal, Authentic Brand Group and TNT Sports, will debut this summer.

“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,” Warner Bros. Discovery wrote in a press release.

DUNKMAN league will feature 24 of the best dunk athletes.

“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,” O’Neal said in the release.

“At TNT Sports, we aim to reach fans at the intersection of sports and culture, and the DUNKMAN league will allow us to showcase that convergence through the creativity and personalities of the best dunkers in the world,” Craig Barry, Chief Content Officer, TNT Sports, added. “Partnering with Shaquille to build the first professional dunk league lets us create and amplify moments that excite our fans and extends through across our platforms.”

The DUNKMAN contest will offer a $500,000 cash prize, per Bleacher Report.

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Boardroom reported that the “league introduces an Olympic-style scoring system and a season-long format designed to give pro dunkers consistent exposure beyond traditional one-night contests.⁠”

“The best vs. the best, across five live events, using an Olympic-level scoring system, and putting up the biggest prize money in dunk history,” O’Neal told the outlet.⁠

“The best dunkers aren’t just in the NBA anymore,” he added. “They’re all over the world and I wanted to find out who teh goat really is.”

DUNKMAN 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,” Warner Bros. Discovery reported.

With a global stage, major prize money and a season-long format, DUNKMAN aims to transform dunking into a legitimate professional sport, giving elite athletes worldwide the chance to build careers and gain long-overdue recognition. It’s sure to be a hit when it arrives this summer.

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