Mac McClung a complete unknown, 2022 G-League Rookie of the Year, at just 6′ 2″ became the re-founder of the Dunk Contest at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The Philadelphia 76ers player pulled a series of moves out of the hat that left everyone in attendance at the Utah Jazz’s Vivint Smart Home Arena in awe.
McClung came into tonight as the odds-on favorite to win the contest and even declared before tonight that he would feature two moves that had not been seen before in the history of the NBA’s most exciting pre-All-Star Game contest.
In the contest McClung beat out Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), who was the runner-up, Kenyon Martin Jr. (Rockets) and Jericho Sims (Knicks), who came in to replace Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpewho declined the last-minute invitation to focus on the season with his team.
Mac McCLung’s show at the Slam Dunk Contest
McLung showed not only great jumping power. In several of his evolutions he brought his head very close to the hoop, but he also showed his creativity and speed to react in the air. In his first jump, after jumping two people on top of each other, the Sixers player put the ball on the backboard and then made the dunk.
While in his last evolution, he jumped to a standing person and in the air brought the ball down twice to finish with a spectacular two-handed dunk.
First dunk: His first execution got a perfect score. The level of difficulty was quite high, but for his creativity, despite the fact that it was a move that had been seen previously. Although no one before in the contest, he crashed the ball on the backboard, being in the air, before jamming the ball.
Second dunk: at first glance, it doesn’t look spectacular. But the replay shows how McCLung brushes his head against the rim, lowers the ball to his belly and without bending his arms does a two-handed tow with great power. The first dunk was the one that advanced him to the next round along with Trey Murphy of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Third dunk: In the final, McClung put on his high school jersey and with a 540 spin in the air, he was crowned. An impressive performance.
