Los Angeles Lakers icon Shaquille O’Neal is teaming with Authentic Brands Group, TNT Sports and Eli Lilly and Company to create DUNKMAN, billed as the world’s first professional league dedicated exclusively to slam dunks. The inaugural season is scheduled for this summer, the partners announced on April 6 2026.
O’Neal will serve as league commissioner. “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,” he said in a statement. “We are transforming dunking from a one-night contest to the fastest-growing professional sport off two feet.”
The debut campaign will feature 24 elite dunkers competing in a league format that includes four group-stage events. Top performers will advance to the DUNKMAN World Championship, where they will vie for the title and a $500,000 grand prize.
Live events will be carried across TNT, TBS, truTV and HBO Max, with supplemental coverage appearing on DUNKMAN’s social channels, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and YouTube. A panel of expert judges will score each dunk to determine advancement through the stages and ultimately crown a champion.
TNT Sports Chief Content Officer Craig Barry said the new league aligns with the network’s strategy of blending sports and culture: “Partnering with Shaquille to build the first professional dunk league lets us create and amplify moments that excite our fans and extend across our platforms.”
Fans can track city announcements, athlete reveals, ticket sales and broadcast details at dunkman.com and on social media at @dunkmanofficial. Additional programming information will be released in the coming weeks.
Source: Lakers Nation
