Dunkman
18-Year-Old dunking prodigy Dylan Haugen is vying for $500k on Shaq’s Dunkman competition, which airs its World Championship final on Tuesday, August 25th at 8 pm on TNT and HBO Max.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE IS SET 🔥
8 dunkers will compete for the Dunkman title and $500,000 😮💨💰 pic.twitter.com/TtmMt5fHQZ
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) August 12, 2026
During the competition, Haugen went viral with his inverted scorpion dunk, which earned him a 9.28 score during the competition and helped him secure a spot in the finals.
18-year-old prodigy throws down NASTY scorpion dunk 🦂🔥
5’11” dunker Dylan Haugen put on a SHOW 😳 pic.twitter.com/64zdzE2Rrf
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) August 12, 2026
We spoke to the young Minnesota native before the Dunkman final about his dunking influences, dunking style, and competing for $500k on Shaq’s Dunkman.
Hey Dylan, how did you get into dunking?
Dylan Haugen: “I was 11 or 12 years old when I started. When I was younger, I played pretty much every sport and didn’t really care for one more than the others. Eventually, I watched a Michael Jordan video when I was 12 and got super into it. I was outside every single day dunking on 7.5 and 8-foot rims, gradually moving my way up until I got my first dunk at 13. From there, I just took off.”
When did you decide that you wanted to specialize in dunking over playing organized basketball?
“Initially, I thought organized basketball was what I truly enjoyed when I was out playing on shorter rims. Eventually, I realized my passion was specifically for dunking. As I slowly fell out of love with traditional basketball, my dunking skills were improving. After my sophomore year of high school, I was getting flown out to my first contest. Since I wasn’t enjoying basketball as much and knew I wasn’t going to play in college, I decided to go all in on dunking. I figured I should focus on the thing I enjoyed most and see how far I could take it.”
Who were your dunking influences?
“Jordan Kilgannon was the one who really got me into dunking. Seeing his creativity and watching him go out to a court and create hundreds of new dunks was incredibly inspiring.”
How would you describe your dunking style?
“I’m 18, so despite training since I was 11, I’m simply not as physically developed as a lot of the older guys. To compensate, I focus on dunks that are extremely technically difficult. For example, my last dunk in the final group stage is called an ‘inverted scorpion,’ which is basically dunking upside down.
“I separate myself by attempting things other people aren’t willing to try because of the technical difficulty. Even though I might not jump as high yet, I’ve spent countless hours perfecting these moves. As my vertical increases, the dunks are only going to get crazier, so I’m excited to continue evolving.”
You got your girlfriend involved in your most recent dunks, what was that like for you?
“It’s really cool to involve people who are close to my dunk journey and understand what it means to me. She’s helped me with a lot of dunks over the years, so it was special to bring her out there. She killed it and held the ball perfectly, so I have no complaints.”
What are your thoughts on Shaq’s Dunkman competition and the ability to compete for $500k as a pro dunker?
“Dunkman is truly a blessing for the entire sport. When I was growing up, you were lucky to get an invite to a random event. Now, Shaq and Authentic Brands Group have come together to create the first real professional dunk league. It gives elite athletes a global stage and a genuine career path. Instead of dunkers traveling the world trying to cobble together an income through random contests, they now have a legitimate league and a real goal to work toward.”
What are your long-term goals going forward?
“My immediate goal is to win this competition, which is going to be tough. Long-term, I’m here for the long run. I’ve said it before, but this is the worst I will ever look in my Dunkman career because I’m only going to keep improving. The other competitors will get better too, but they are older, so it will be more difficult for them.
“I consider myself nowhere near where I want to be in a couple of years. I’m excited to do the best I can in the finals on August 25th, get back to work this offseason, and come back a completely different dunker next year.”
You can catch the Dunkman World Championship finals live on August 25 at 8 pm ET, on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
These dunkers are about to put the WILD in “Wildcard”.
Watch @DylanHaugen23 , @JRGHENRY, @1FootGod and Dengxing Chen return to OTE for the first DUNKMAN World Championship. Watch live August 25 at 8PM ET, on @TNTSportsUS and HBO Max. #dunkman pic.twitter.com/zaZnCd2Vt5— DUNKMAN (@dunkmanofficial) August 24, 2026