Shaquille O'Neal Relaunches DUNKMAN Contest

The professional dunking league returns for its second year with a new $1 million top prize.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a basketball dunker mid-air, capturing the high-energy movement and athletic competition. — Shaquille O'Neal has relaunched the DUNKMAN professional dunking league, offering a $1 million grand prize to identify top basketball talent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Shaquille O'Neal has officially relaunched his DUNKMAN professional dunking league, which is currently scouting for talent. Participants have the chance to win a $10,000 prize and a contract, eventually competing for a $1 million grand prize.

Why it matters

The league seeks to identify undiscovered professional dunking talent while promoting community involvement through partnerships. By expanding the prize pool significantly from last year, the competition aims to increase visibility for the sport.

The DUNKMAN contest will evaluate up to 50 applicants in its second year. The winner of the upcoming Qualifier Final receives a $10,000 prize and a professional contract.

The players

Shaquille O'Neal

The retired NBA Hall of Fame center is the founder of the DUNKMAN professional dunking league.

Lilly

The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company is partnering with the league to support youth basketball initiatives.

The details

Aspiring dunkers will perform tryouts directly in front of Shaquille O'Neal to earn a spot in the regional qualifier. In Indianapolis, the competition is partnering with Lilly to host a girls' basketball clinic as part of an initiative called The Court Is Hers.

Nov. 2, 2026: Application deadline for the DUNKMAN contest.
Nov. 14, 2026: First DUNKMAN Regional Qualifier tryouts in Indianapolis.
2027: DUNKMAN World Championship event.

Season Trajectory

This second season signals a growth phase for the professional dunking league by doubling the grand prize amount. The expansion of tryout sites and community programming indicates a move to solidify DUNKMAN as a consistent fixture in the sports calendar.

Local applicants must submit entries by November 2, 2026, to participate in the upcoming tryouts at Indiana University. Successful candidates will move forward in the qualifier process, competing for the professional contract and the 2027 grand prize.

The takeaway

The league is prioritizing talent discovery and youth basketball engagement during its second season. Interested athletes should ensure they meet application deadlines to be among the 50 participants evaluated for the qualifier.