While intended to be the crown jewels of All-Star Saturday, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest had been sitting in the backseat more and more in recent years.
Just too many uninteresting contests with fewer and fewer stars of the league. This however shifted againt in 2023. While the contest’s participants from the 2023 All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City didn’t scream superstars at first glance, too, the dunk contest was somewhat saved by Trey Murphy and, more importantly, two-way player Mac McClung.
McClung’s performance not only had him win the Slam Dunk Contest, but also helped generate a hype around his person. The high flyer gained millions of social media followers and fans worldwide… all while remaining incredibly humble.
Then, Mac revealed to me, that he will show dunks that have never been done before in an NBA dunk contest. He definitely delivered on that. Fast forward to last year… NBA Rising Stars media day in Indianapolis. The setting was very similar to the year prior, only that there was more pressure on McClung to perform, since people now knew what he’s capable of.
When talking to him, I brought his statement from Indianapolis back up, asking him if he’ll double down on that statement for 2024, again. That’s when Mac even one up’d himself, saying that he prepared three dunks that had never been done before in an NBA dunk contest, two of which had never been done by any dunker.
“I think there’s three dunks that haven’t been done before, and two, I don’t think anybody has ever done. Hopefully I make ’em. That’s the big thing…”
GET READY:@McclungMac just told me that he has three dunks that never been done before in a dunk contest, two of which no one ever has done.
–#nba #NBAAllStar2024 #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/gIjPf6cZWZ— Len Werle (@RealLennyCarlos) February 16, 2024
While McClung easily won the 2024 dunk contest, fans agreed that his show wasn’t as spectacular as the year before, which leads us to this years dunk contest… another fast forward, if you may…
The setting is eerily similar, even though in a different city – San Francisco, California, to be precise. But not only the settings are the same, my question and Mac’s answer are as well.
“I don”t think any of the four have been (done before). So, I’m excited.”
A trifecta you can say. Not for a lack of words, more so than possibly not needing to pay Pat Riley any money due to his ‘three-peat’ copyrights.
“I can’t afford that, can’t afford that!”
@McclungMac has prepared FOUR DUNKS that have never been done before in an #NBADunkContest.
Will also avoid paying Pat Riley any copyright money. #NBAAllStar2025 pic.twitter.com/NgxULmjHd6
— Len Werle (@RealLennyCarlos) February 15, 2025
