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Shaquille O’Neal’s new dunk league made an immediate impact this weekend. DUNKMAN debuted at Fanatics Fest with a moment that instantly went viral. The league is presented by Authentic Brands Group and TNT Sports, in partnership with Lilly and Credit One Bank.
DUNKMAN athlete Darius Clark set a new world record for the vertical jump. He cleared 53 inches live in front of the Fanatics Fest crowd. O’Neal, who serves as DUNKMAN’s commissioner, then rewarded Clark with $15,000 on the spot.
What led up to the record-breaking DUNKMAN moment
The record jump capped a full day of programming built around the league’s launch. Earlier in the day, organizers held a press conference. There, they introduced four of DUNKMAN’s 24 competing dunkers. Three-time NBA Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung was among them, along with Chinese dunking sensation Dengxing Chen.
Later, O’Neal also welcomed rising NBA star Cooper Flagg. Flagg joined an episode of O’Neal’s show, The Big Podcast. Together, these moments added even more buzz to an already big day.
When DUNKMAN officially begins and how to watch
DUNKMAN officially launches Tuesday, July 21, at 8 p.m. ET in Atlanta. This marks the world’s first professional dunk league. The event airs on TNT and HBO Max. Additionally, coverage runs across Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and DUNKMAN’s own social channels.
The season includes five live events in total. Four group stages will send competitors toward the World Championship on August 25. There, the winner takes home $500,000. That prize is the largest ever offered in competitive dunking. Every attempt throughout the season will be judged, building toward the crowning of DUNKMAN’s first champion.
Where fans can catch DUNKMAN in Atlanta
All events take place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta and are open to the public. Group A runs July 21. Group B follows July 28. Then Group C runs August 4, and Group D runs August 11. Each show starts at 8 p.m. ET, with doors opening at 7 p.m. The World Championship closes out the season on August 25.
Tickets for all five events are available now through SI Tickets. Overall, for a league built entirely around one explosive movement, DUNKMAN wasted no time proving it belongs on the biggest stage in sports.
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