NBA All-Star Weekend: G League Player Mac McClung Stuns at Slam Dunk Contest

Mac McClung dominated this year's NBA Dunk Contest with his spectacular dunks at the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend event.

Participating players were Trey Murphy III, Jericho Sims, Kenyon Martin Jr., and McClung, who earned a total of four dunk scores throughout two rounds.

Each dunk was rated out of 50 by the five judges (Jamal Crawford, Lisa Leslie, Karl Malone, Harold Miner, and Dominique Wilkins), and the final score for each player was calculated by averaging the five judges' scores, according to Fox Sports.

Murphy (46.6), Sims (47.6), Martin (46), and McClung (46) all received 46 or higher for their initial dunks in the opening round (50).

Mac McClung (49.8), Murphy (49.4), Sims (47.8), and Martin (47.2) all tied for first place in the second round of dunks (47.2).

McClung garnered a first-round total of 99.8 and Murphy got 96 and made it to the final round, where they each got to dunk twice more to show off their abilities.

A Man Possessed

Starting things off, Murphy dunked it on the first attempt and got a 48.8.

It was a wonderful night for McClung, who also had a flawless first attempt in the battle of high-flyers in the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Murphy started the Slam Dunk Contest finals off by shooting a windmill down after he threw the ball off the backboard to himself.

Mac McClung responded by leaping over a person and slamming after a double-pump, receiving another set of 50s from the judges.

Murphy's second dunk was impressive, but McClung quickly responded.

McClung finished the contest with 50 more while wearing his high school jersey. Minutes later, he was presented with the trophy after making the "It's over" gesture made famous by Vince Carter after his dunk, USA Today reported.

In the interview after the contest, McClung said he felt possessed. "I wasn't really even thinking at the moment. It was just kind of something that happened, to be honest with you," he noted.

When asked about continuing his career in the sport, Mac McClung stated his willingness to participate again in the following year.

Who Is Mac McClung?

Mac McClung's selection as the star of Saturday's NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest was met with some bewilderment.

The young player has only seen action in two NBA games total, neither of which were played this season.
Several observers criticized the league for its inability to attract higher-profile players in the 2023 NBA All-Star dunking contest after hearing of his attendance, per CBS Sports.

That was one of the finest Slam Dunk performances in recent memory, and McClung was the star of the NBA All-Star Weekend.

A player, who was previously unknown to most fans, won the dunk contest and will now be remembered among legends like Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins, Julius Erving, and Michael Jordan.

While McClung has yet to establish himself as an NBA player, his reputation as a dunker precedes him. He became an online star after dunking for Gate City High School in Virginia.

McClung had 821,000 Instagram followers going into NBA All-Star Weekend, which is more than double the total of his three closest challengers.

Tags

NBA, Michael jordan, Sports, Basketball, United States