00:00Have you ever felt that the NBA slam dunk contest doesn't quite carry the same excitement it once
00:05did? Former Phoenix Suns Shaquille O'Neal clearly shares that sentiment as he is launching a
00:10professional dunking league designed to determine who truly is the best basketball dunker in the
00:15world. The four-time NBA champion announced on Monday during TNT's men's Final Four pre-game
00:22show that he will serve as the commissioner of the Dunkman League. According to O'Neal,
00:26this league, which he promotes as the first of its kind, originated from a television show titled
00:31Dunkman that aired last fall, where a panel of TNT sports analysts and celebrities crowned a
00:37champion over six episodes. Speaking from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, O'Neal expressed that
00:43NBA players lack sufficient pride to deliver the dunk contest experience fans want and that a new
00:49generation of professional dunkers has emerged. He has signed up 24 players, is offering a $500,000
00:56cash prize, and has developed an elaborate scoring system. While he is trying to recruit Mack
01:02McClung, the three-time NBA slam dunk contest winner, O'Neal stated,
01:06I'm telling you tonight, we got 24 Mack McClung's.
01:11In the 2026 AT&T slam dunk contest, held in Los Angeles, former Arizona Wildcat,
01:19Kashad Johnson of the Miami Heat defeated fellow Wildcat, Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs.
01:26The other two competitors were the Lakers' Jackson Hayes and the Magic's Jace Richardson. All four
01:32were first-timers, following the three consecutive victories of the springy 6'2 McClung. O'Neal noted
01:38that the best dunkers are no longer automatically the NBA's best players, as was the case during his
01:44own playing career. So how did Shaq, who unofficially recorded 2,726 dunks in his illustrious NBA career,
01:53select the dunkers worthy of being crowned the world's best? Through YouTube.
01:58If you go to YouTube dunk clips are some of the most successful clips, O'Neal explained.
02:04Canadian Jordan Kilganon, who impressed during the 2016 NBA All-Star weekend, was confirmed as one of
02:10the 24 participants. The Dunkman League, run by O'Neal, in partnership with Lilly and TNT Sports,
02:17will broadcast five dunking sessions, four group stage events and one finale, across TNT,
02:24TBS, to RUTV, HBO Max, and several unannounced social media platforms, according to the Associated
02:32Press. Dunkers will be judged, using an Olympic-level scoring system, by a panel of judges.
02:38The league is scheduled to debut this summer. For those keeping track of Shaq's time in Phoenix,
02:44the 7'1 center played 103 games for the Suns, averaging 16.5 points, 9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks,
02:52and 1.7 assists. His career free throw percentage of 52.7% is among the worst in league history,
03:00hence the hack-a-Shaq strategy. But he shot 57.6%, for the Suns, the best mark of any of
03:06the six teams he
03:07played for. He also earned all-NBA third-team honors, in the 2008-09 season with Phoenix,
03:14his final such accolade in a 19-year career. So, Suns fans, with a brand new professional dunking
03:20league on the horizon, and a $500,000 prize up for grabs, do you think the Dunkman League will
03:25recapture the magic that many feel the NBA slam dunk contest has lost?
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