Shaq O'Neal Launches Dunkman Professional Dunking League

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal announced on Monday the launch of Dunkman, the first professional league dedicated to dunking, with its inaugural season set to debut later this year. O'Neal, who recorded approximately 4,000 dunks during his NBA career including playoffs, will serve as the league's founder and commissioner.

The league builds on a six-episode DUNKMAN television series that aired last year, aiming to elevate dunk contests from isolated events into a structured competition. It has the backing of TNT Sports and Authentic Brands Group. The season will feature 24 athletes from around the world competing in four live group-stage events, culminating in the DUNKMAN World Championship. The winner will claim the title of world champion and a grand prize of $500,000.

"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," O'Neal said in a statement. He described the initiative as transforming dunking "from a one-night contest to the fastest growing professional sport off two feet."

Competitors will be judged by a panel of experts using an Olympic-level scoring system designed...