Shaq Launches New Professional League

👋 Hello folks, new week comes with new set of stories shaping Black excellence in sports.

… if you haven’t yet.

This week in YardsOut we will cover:

The NFL is trying to close the gap. At the recent HBCU Showcase in Ashburn, dozens of prospects finally got what players from major programs receive by default, direct access to scouts, interviews, and real evaluation. It’s progress, but it also exposes the problem.

Between 2022 and 2025: 1,035 total draft picks, only 6 from HBCUs. That’s 0.58%—not a pipeline, a bottleneck.

And when HBCU players do break through, the story often shifts. Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders both built their foundation at HBCUs, but in draft conversations, they’re framed through their Power 5 exposure. Visibility changes, and suddenly, so does perception.

This is where media quietly controls the system. Data shows coverage is concentrated on a small group of names, entire HBCU conferences receive little to no national attention, and major outlets are largely missing from the conversation. And that matters more than it should.

Because in today’s game, media attention drives scouting priority, scouting priority shapes draft position, and draft position determines career earnings. Players from major programs start with built-in visibility, while HBCU athletes are fighting to be seen, often relying on one-off events just to enter the conversation.

Meanwhile a Nigerian born HBCU athlete has been making rounds for putting insane numbers and is now a favorite NFL draft prospect.

So no, HBCU talent isn’t being ignored, it’s being filtered. Filtered through a system where if you’re not covered, you’re not discussed, and if you’re not discussed, you don’t exist.

HBCU talent isn’t the question. Visibility is.

Angel Reese has been named the face of a new campaign for Victoria’s Secret, marking her latest move off the court.

The campaign, shot in Barbados, features Reese modeling pieces from the brand’s swimwear and beauty collection, including its Invisible Strapless line and Bombshell Bronze fragrance. This follows her appearance in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, where she became one of the few professional athletes to participate.

Reese, who is entering her third WNBA season, has also been active in media. In 2024, she launched her podcast Unapologetically Angel, where she hosts conversations with various guests.

Speaking about her career, Reese has noted the importance of building a platform beyond basketball, acknowledging that her time in the sport will eventually come to an end.

Shaquille O'Neal is betting on something the NBA never fully capitalized on, dunking as a standalone sport.

In partnership with TNT Sports, he’s launching DUNKMAN, the world’s first professional dunk league, set to debut in Summer 2026. What used to be a side event, the dunk contest, is now being turned into a full-scale league with structure, storytelling, and serious money on the line.

The format is built for entertainment and scale:

And most importantly, it’s not just a show. It’s a system.

Backed by major distribution across TNT, TBS, truTV, and HBO Max, plus amplification through platforms like Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, DUNKMAN is designed to live where culture already exists, online, viral, and personality-driven.

Shaq’s vision is simple: take something that already wins attention and build an economy around it. Dunking has always been one of the most viral elements of basketball, but until now, it had no real career path. No league. No infrastructure. No long-term upside.

That’s what this changes.

This isn’t just about creating a new sport, it’s about recognizing that the most valuable parts of sports today aren’t always the games themselves. They’re the moments that travel. The clips. The personalities. The creativity.

And dunking has all of that, just without a home.

DUNKMAN gives it one.

Shaq isn’t reinventing the game—he’s monetizing what the game made popular.

Noah Lyles married Junelle Bromfield on April 4 in Trenton, Georgia. The ceremony was themed “All Shades of Melanin” and brought together friends and family from different backgrounds.

The couple got engaged nearly two years ago, following a proposal that Lyles shared on social media. Their relationship dates back to 2017, when Bromfield first reached out to him online. They later reconnected and began dating in 2022.

Both athletes have competed at the highest level in track and field, with Lyles being a multiple-time world champion. Bromfield has also represented Jamaica internationally.