Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung celebrates with the trophy after successful the slam dunk competitors throughout All Star Saturday Evening forward of the 2025 NBA All Star Sport at Chase Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Kyle Terada-Imagn Photos The experiences of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest being useless could be over-exaggerated—and that’s all due to Mac McClung.
On Saturday evening, McClung turned the primary participant to ever three-peat the dunk contest. His high-flying heroics included an epic dunk over a Kia, an homage to Aaron Gordon’s well-known hoverboard dunk and a powerful leap over Cleveland Cavaliers seven-footer Evan Mobley.
McClung is greater than an “thrilling white,” regardless of how incessantly that meme was used on Saturday evening. He might be what saves the dunk contest.
For McClung’s first two victories, he by no means actually obtained his flowers. As a substitute, the narrative surrounding his dominance was that the dunk contest had change into so dangerous {that a} G League participant had gained twice in a row.
On Saturday, it felt like McClung awoke one thing.
No different participant within the 2025 dunk contest area might maintain a torch to what the G League star was throwing down. San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Fort hammered house some thrilling dunks that may’ve damaged Bleacher Report in the event that they had been achieved in a recreation, however McClung’s use of props is what provides the dunk contest life.
The knock on Saturday evening’s finale for nearly the final decade is that precise NBA stars don’t take part within the occasion. LeBron James has by no means participated, and now the NBA group has implored younger, high-flying superstars like Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards and Zion Williamson to compete.
McClung’s efficiency on Saturday evening may need woken them up.
Memphis Grizzlies famous person Ja Morant had social media buzzing when he declared that McClung’s heroics may make him determine to take part in subsequent 12 months’s contest.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was tasked with cheering on his teammate Andre Jackson Jr.’s horrific dunks, replied to Morant and had the NBA buzzing.
“In the event you do it. I’ll do it with you,” he stated in a reply.
After his three-peat, McClung threatened to retire from the dunk contest in an interview with Allie LaForce. The dunk contest has devolved to the purpose the place a G League participant, whose dunk contest earnings have practically doubled his recreation salaries, is keen to stroll away from the occasion.
Nevertheless, in his media availability late Saturday night, McClung was knowledgeable that Morant and Antetokounmpo had been considering the potential for competing subsequent 12 months, and he appeared far more open about defending his three-peat crown.
Who is aware of if Morant and Antetokounmpo will maintain their phrase and take part subsequent 12 months? Who is aware of if McClung will determine that he’s too good for the competition, particularly after emptying the clip by leaping over a automobile?
But when all the pieces goes based on plan, and the dunk contest is revived, we must always all be thanking McClung, the unheralded participant from the G League who persistently was wheeled out for our leisure over these final three seasons simply to vanish again into his function with the Osceola Magic.
