Warner Media LLC
07/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/09/2026 11:35
Shaquille O’Neal, Authentic Brands Group & TNT Sports’ DUNKMAN Presented by Lilly – the World’s First Professional Dunk League – to Take Flight Tuesday, July 21, at 8 p.m. ET
Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands Group and TNT Sports will launch DUNKMAN Presented by Lilly, in partnership with Credit One Bank, with the first night of live competition taking flight Tuesday, July 21, at 8 p.m. ET.
The live league events will air across TNT and HBO Max with additional content across DUNKMAN social channels, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and YouTube.
Providing commentary during the inaugural season will be dunk icon Vince Carter, NBA champion Draymond Green, popular hoops multiplatform creator CashNasty, who will provide the voice of the fan, and host Adam Lefkoe.
Overall, DUNKMAN will lead off with four hour-long group stage events - airing on Tuesdays throughout the summer - followed by the DUNKMAN World Championship on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The five weekly live telecasts will feature 24 of the best dunkers competing in a brand-new league format for the title of DUNKMAN World Champion and a grand prize of $500,000.
The league's elite roster of 24 dunkers includes three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner Mac McClung, China's top dunker Dengxing Chen, Tyler Currie and Isaiah Rivera.
| DUNKMAN Programming Schedule | ||
| Tuesday, July 21, 8 p.m. ET |
Episode 1 (Group Stage A)
|
TNT & HBO Max |
| Tuesday, July 28, 8 p.m. ET |
Episode 2 (Group Stage B)
|
TNT & HBO Max |
| Tuesday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m. ET |
Episode 3 (Group Stage C)
|
TNT & HBO Max |
| Tuesday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m. ET |
Episode 4 (Group Stage D)
|
TNT & HBO Max |
| Tuesday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m. ET | Episode 5 (World Championship) | TNT & HBO Max |
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.
A panel of expert judges will evaluate each dunk attempt to determine which dunkers advance through the group stages and who is ultimately crowned DUNKMAN World Champion. Additionally, O'Neal serves founder and commissioner.
Fans can follow the build-up to the inaugural season, including city announcements, athlete reveals, ticket on-sale dates and broadcast information, at https://www.dunkman.com and across DUNKMAN social channels @dunkmanofficial.
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