“Inside the NBA” has moved to ESPN, but TNT still has some other jobs for some of the hosts of the popular studio show.
Shaquille O’Neal will join other NBA greats including Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, Mac McClung and Chris Webber as judges on the six-episode reality competition show “Dunkman,” set to air in December on Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
“Dunkman” features 40 amateur dunkers from around the world competing for a $200,000 prize. And while this premise may not be shocking, what’s interesting is that Warner’s TNT Sports continues to look for supporting roles for O’Neal et al., even as Warner’s flagship sports programming becomes a more associated property with Disney’s ESPN.
TNT Sports commentator and podcaster Adam Lefkow, who has worked with O’Neal in the past, will host the show, which will begin Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., and air at the same times for the next two weeks. Former ESPN commentator and host Jalen Rose will appear as an analyst.
The program will give Warner a connection to basketball after he lost his NBA rights after the league’s last season, severing a decades-long relationship. The NBA’s current rights deal places the game on properties partnered with NBCUniversal, Amazon and Disney.
Warner continues to produce “Inside the NBA,” and there are discussions about launching a more general sports commentary show featuring Warner’s network’s “Inside” hosts. Over the decades, O’Neill has worked with the likes of Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith. Smith has signed a deal with ESPN and will appear on Disney Network shows including “First Take.” Johnson is expected to remain at Warner and also serve in MLB duties.
The new program will join O’Neill’s many media activities. He also works as a popular commercial pitchman for companies such as insurance agency The General.
“Dunkman” will be held at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The series is produced by TNT Sports in association with A. Smith & Co and Authentic Brands Group, producers of reality series from Kitchen Nightmares to Titan Games.
