Shaquille O’Neal’s latest dunk champion secured $500,000, which is substantially larger than the NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner’s $105,000 bonus in 2026. This 21-year-old Abilene Christian University student is the new face of the dunking league, and he is not going to pull any punches.
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Cam Hazzard is that 21-year-old Abilene Christian University student who recently emerged as the world champion of DUNKMAN. In an interview with TMZ Clips before his win, Hazzard had something to say about the dunking capability of NBA players.
“I think a lot of people have this idea that professional basketball players are always going to be the highest jumpers,” he said. “They don’t jump as high, and they’re not as good at dunking as professional dunkers like me or some of the other guys.”
NBA players work on their shooting, defense, and running skills through 82 games every year, whereas for Hazzard, his whole life revolves around developing one specific skill. This fact was proven when he could leap up 47-50 inches, which is way above the record in NBA Combine history that stands at 48 inches, made by Keon Johnson in 2021.
The difference in the approach to dunking is precisely what O’Neal designed DUNKMAN to spotlight. The former NBA star launched the league in collaboration with TNT Sports and Authentic Brands Group, creating a special competition circuit specifically for the dunkers rather than an annual event.
O’Neal has openly expressed his disappointment with the NBA’s dunking before. Commenting on the current state of affairs in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest to The Athletic, O’Neal stated, “What’s the word, soft? You can tell them I said it. They’re soft, and they’re scared.”
The criticism is consistent with years of diminishing star-power at the NBA All-Star Weekend, where top stars have largely shied away from the dunk contest for unknown contestants. Jaylen Brown’s attempt to set a higher standard of competition a few years ago made little difference.
DUNKMAN was designed to fix an entirely different issue that had nothing to do with star power. The 24-man tournament, featuring three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung, went through four group stages until Hazzard defeated China’s Dengxing Chen in the finals.
In particular, Hazzard scored the best dunk of the season, a tomahawk 360 dunk between the legs with a perfect 9.91 score. The format Hazzard described in the TMZ interview proved to be successful.
“What Dunkman has done is make it so that you have to hit a dunk within two attempts, and hopefully on the first attempt,” Hazzard said. “Because of that, the contest moves really fast, and that fast pace is what keeps the viewer hooked and engaged.”
However, in 2026, NBA contestants had up to three attempts within 90 seconds, plus a final attempt if time expired. According to Hazzard, it would be prudent for the NBA to have such restrictions in place to avoid having an event that takes long.
There is no doubt that the NBA has a glorious past in terms of its past dunkers, which have included such names as Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant since 1984. The current champion for this competition is Keshad Johnson, who plays for the Miami Heat team..
DUNKMAN will either take talent away from the NBA event or coexist with it. For now, however, Hazzard’s victory and his views have certainly become another element in the discussion which has persisted about the NBA Slam Dunk Contest over several years.