What Is the AI Basketball Dunk Trend? The Drive, the Dunk and the Shout
The AI Basketball Dunk trend is a 15-second arena drive, one-hand slam and shout, made from one photo on CapCut and Seadanse since October 31, 2026.
The Seadanse Team9 min readThe team behind Seadanse. We run the models we write about, and we publish the specs, prices and limits the marketing leaves out.
TL;DR — The AI Basketball Dunk trend is a 15-second, one-shot video where an everyday person in everyday clothes drives a packed arena, dunks with one hand and shouts into the camera. It started with a CapCut template called "Basketball Dunk" on October 31, 2026, which had 20,176 uses by 10:10 UTC on November 5, 2026. You can make yours from one photo on Seadanse's AI Basketball Dunk page for $9.90 at 720p with no account.
The dunk is all over TikTok and Reels, and the first thing viewers ask is whether it's real. Under the post with 1.5 million views, one viewer asked, "Is this AI?" That comment got 15 likes and 5 replies.
Below, we'll explain what the trend is and its 15 seconds beat by beat. You'll also see where it came from, who dunks in the biggest posts, the song, and whether the videos are real.
We've timed our own AI Basketball Dunk video from one photo:
Our sample video shows a young man with dark hair in a plain white T-shirt, dark grey jeans and black shoes. He comes from one full-body photo of him.
Here's what's below:
- The trend: what happens on the court.
- The beats: the 15 seconds, timed.
- The source: the template, the posts and the song, dated.
- Real or AI: what's made and what's yours.
What Is the AI Basketball Dunk Trend?
The AI Basketball Dunk trend is one long shot in a packed NBA-style arena. An everyday person in everyday clothes catches the ball at centre court and drives the length of the floor. Then they throw down a one-hand dunk, land and shout straight into the camera.
The laugh comes from who's dunking and what they wear on the court.
People also call it the AI dunk trend, a basketball dunk AI video, an AI basketball dunk video, and the Forever dunk.
It's easy to try our AI basketball dunk video maker and put yourself in that exact arena drive.
What Happens in the 15 Seconds of an AI Basketball Dunk
An AI Basketball Dunk video is 15 seconds in one shot with no cuts, in five beats, with the trend's sound under all of them.
Here's how our 15-second version plays out:
- The catch (0 to 1 second): Far out at centre court in a packed NBA-style arena, you catch the ball.
- The drive (1 to 8 seconds): You dribble fast down the floor straight at the camera, with the referee running behind you.
- The gather (8 to 10 seconds): You gather the ball in both hands and take two long steps.
- The dunk (10 to 12 seconds): You take off at about 10 seconds and rise to the rim with the ball held high. You throw down a one-hand dunk, then land under the basket and turn.
- The shout (12 to 15 seconds): You shout straight into the camera as a fan's hand sweeps across the frame.
Where the AI Dunk Trend Came From
The AI dunk trend started with a CapCut AI template. A CapCut template is an edit someone already built in the CapCut app, with a slot for your photo.
Here's how it got here, in order:
- October 31, 2026: The CapCut template "Basketball Dunk" is published, turning one photo into the dunk.
- November 2 and 4, 2026: Two more templates with the same dunk follow.
- November 3, 2026: A TV character dunking in his suit in a post with 1.5 million views becomes the trend's biggest.
- November 5, 2026: The "Basketball Dunk" template has 18,495 uses at 03:39 UTC and 20,176 by 10:10 UTC.
That's about 1,700 more uses in about six and a half hours.
If you run into issues finding the template, we've written a guide on where the Basketball Dunk CapCut template is.
Who Dunks in the Biggest AI Basketball Dunk Posts
The biggest AI Basketball Dunk posts put TV characters and presenters on the floor in their signature outfits.
Here are the four we read on November 5, 2026:
- Louis Litt: The Suits character dunks in his suit, with 1.5 million views.
- Jeremy Clarkson: The presenter dunks in a check shirt and jeans, with 483,100 views.
- Sheldon Cooper: The Big Bang Theory character dunks in a superhero T-shirt, with 329,400 views.
- Mr Bean: The character dunks in his tweed jacket, with 210,500 views.
The comments are packed with puns on the dunker's name, like "LITT UPPPPPP" with 10,017 likes.
On our page the dunker is whoever's in your photo, so you can dunk in your own clothes.
What Song Is in the AI Dunk Trend?
The song in many AI dunk trend posts is "Forever" by Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem.
It was the sound on 6 of the 13 trend posts we read on November 5, 2026, and the rest use the template's own sound.
That's why some people call the trend the Forever dunk.
Our AI Basketball Dunk lays the trend's sound under all 15 seconds, so there's nothing to add in TikTok.
Is the AI Basketball Dunk Real?
No: an AI Basketball Dunk video is made by AI from one photo, and nobody's playing in a real game. Our page says it too: "Viewers keep asking whether the clip is real."
TikTok showed its AI-generated label on 10 of the 13 trend posts we read. And 56 of the 765 comments we read ask or joke about whether it's real.
Here's how to tell what's made and what's yours:
- The arena: The packed NBA-style arena, the crowd, the referee and the other player are built into the video.
- You: The dunker is the person, character or pet in your photo, with their own face, hair and clothes from the photo.
- The shot: One 15-second shot with no cuts, from the catch at centre court to the shout into the camera.
Why the AI Basketball Dunk Makes People Laugh
The AI Basketball Dunk makes people laugh because someone in a suit, a hoodie or a work uniform plays like a pro in a packed arena.
As our page puts it, "That clash is the exact joke the trend runs on."
Here's what the comments do, from the 765 we read on November 5, 2026:
- The name: 202 of them name the dunker or pun on the name.
- Real or AI: 56 ask or joke about it.
- The ask: "what app please" (a viewer under another trend post).
Who You Can Put in an AI Basketball Dunk Video
The dunker in an AI Basketball Dunk video can be a person 18 or older, a dog, a cat or a cartoon or game character.
Here are four that work:
- You: One selfie or photo of yourself. You drive the floor, throw down a one-hand dunk and shout into the camera in a 15-second vertical video.
- Your work clothes: A photo of you in a suit or work uniform. You catch the ball at centre court and dunk in the exact outfit from your photo.
- A friend who says yes: Their photo and their say. You get 15 seconds of your friend dunking and shouting into the camera to post in your group chat.
- Your pet or a character: A photo of your dog, your cat or a game character. You watch them drive past the referee and throw down a one-hand dunk.
They play in their own clothes from the photo, so it's worth picking the photo with the outfit you want on court.
AI Basketball Dunk Trend FAQ
Is the AI dunk trend the same as the AI Basketball Dunk trend?
Yes: the AI dunk trend, a basketball dunk AI video and the Forever dunk are names people use for the same one-shot arena dunk.
How long is an AI Basketball Dunk video?
An AI Basketball Dunk video is 15 seconds in one shot, vertical 9:16, the frame TikTok and Reels use. It comes in 720p or 1080p.
Can my dog or cat do the AI dunk?
Yes: on our page the photo can be a dog or a cat. Your pet drives past the referee and throws down the one-hand dunk in a packed NBA-style arena.
How do I make an AI Basketball Dunk video?
Add one photo, pick a quality and press Create on our page. You'll find every click in our walkthrough on how to make an AI video of you dunking, step by step.
Can I make other trend videos from my photo?
Yes: AI Dunk turns one or two photos into a 5-second slow-motion video. You drive past two players and throw down a one-hand poster dunk over a tall defender, and there's the option to put a friend under the dunk. Ozil Goal AI turns one photo into a 15-second video of Mesut Özil's goal with you as the scorer. It comes with the trend's original sound. Both sit alongside our other AI video effects.
Join the AI Basketball Dunk Trend
You can join the AI Basketball Dunk trend with one photo. You'll get a 15-second clip where you catch the ball at centre court, drive the floor, throw down a one-hand dunk and shout into the camera. The trend's sound runs under it all. You stay in your own clothes the entire time, and it's $9.90 at 720p on Seadanse.
Written by The Seadanse Team, the team that built the AI Basketball Dunk page.
Related Articles
- How to Make an AI Video of You Dunking From One Photo (3 Steps) — the 15 seconds timed, the photo that works best, and three steps on our page.
- AI Basketball Dunk CapCut Template Not Working? Where It Is and Why — the trend's templates, how the how-to videos open them, and five reasons they stall.
- 9 Best AI Basketball Dunk Generators, Compared (2026) — nine ways to make the dunk, what each asks for and what it costs.
