British Dunker Joel Henry Joins Shaq’s New Dunkman League

British dunker Joel Henry has been selected for Shaquille O’Neal’s new Dunkman League, giving the competition a UK basketball link in its debut season.

Basketball England says Henry is the league’s first British athlete. The former London Lions and Surrey Scorchers player has built a reputation as one of Britain’s leading professional dunkers and previously won individual silver at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup Dunk Contest.

Dunkman, founded by O’Neal and TNT Sports, is built around professional dunking as a standalone competition. The format brings together elite dunkers from around the world across a summer league schedule before an inaugural World Championships event.

British representation on a global dunking stage

The competition tipped off on 21 July, with four hour-long league events scheduled every Tuesday through the summer. The inaugural World Championships are due to begin on 25 August.

A total of 24 dunkers are listed for the competition, with a $500,000 grand prize attached to the World Champion title. Basketball England reported that Henry joins a field including three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung, Dengxing Chen, Tyler Currie and Isaiah Rivera.

For Henry, the selection is another chance to showcase British basketball athleticism to a wider audience. For UK fans, it is also a different route into the sport: part entertainment product, part elite skill competition, and now with a British name in the mix.

Sources: Basketball England official announcement; Dunkman 2026 Episode 1 highlights on YouTube.