Only five men have ever won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests, and after Saturday night’s latest aerial acrobatics, Mac McClung has joined rarefied air with a victory over Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown in the final round.
It took a standing-in-place slam over Shaquille O’Neal for McClung to best Brown in the end, and you can’t say it wasn’t impressive from a guy who’s listed at only 6-foot-2.
MAC MCCLUNG OVER SHAQ.
50-PIECE. pic.twitter.com/VHvcOZdRCI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 18, 2024
To do a reverse dunk with a seven-plus-footer in Shaq handing you the rock is impressive to say the least. The other competitors really didn’t stand a chance against McClung, who also dunked over not one, but two people leading into the grand finale:
TOO EASY.
Mac goes up over two people 😱#ATTSlamDunk x #StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/24AKnEAMTw
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Like, how? If we’re being honest, too, it’s a little unfair that McClung is even in this competition in the first place. That’s right. Look at the company he joined tonight.
Back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest Champions:
— Michael Jordan
— Jason Richardson
— Nate Robinson
— Zach LaVineAnd now, Mac McClung. pic.twitter.com/jsqErF0MZW
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 18, 2024
All those guys established themselves as viable NBA players, including that dude who goes by the name of Michael Jordan. He was pretty good. You can’t say the same for Mac McClung. I’m not a hater — it’s just facts! My man isn’t even in the league right now! He rocks a No. 0 jersey as a combo guard for the Osceola Magic of the G League. Should McClung even be allowed in the Slam Dunk Contest in the first place? It’s questionable, for sure.
But hey, if none of the other NBA superstars are going to step up to the plate, we might as well get the most visceral, shockingly good contestant in the lineup, in spite of his rather dubious qualifications.
Even crazier is the fact that McClung’s best dunk didn’t even get a perfect 50 score form the judges. What does this man have to do!?
That's absurd, Mac. https://t.co/uK3T6Ibu4W pic.twitter.com/uhbCraLW2F
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
I really wish Zion Williamson would just get his a** in there and throw down withe everyone. He barely has any interest in keeping himself in basketball shape anyway.
Zion been doin all these Jaylen Brown dunks in game while 40 pounds overweight im sick to my stomach.
— Clique Productions (@ImClique_) February 18, 2024
What better way to endear yourself to the vast majority of NBA fans than to help revive the Slam Dunk Contest and stuff these shrimpy G League upstarts into a freaking locker? Just saying, Zion would be a one-man electric factory who’d make the event must-see TV.
Anyway, congrats to Mac McClung. Not trying to rain on his parade or downplay his achievement. It’s just that…I wish he, you know, actually played in the NBA and sh*t. The fact that he’s lapping the competition at the Slam Dunk Contest and the best that the NBA can put out to challenge him is Jaylen Brown, Obi Toppin’s brother and Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is, well, kind of sad to be honest. Oh well. It is what it is at this point, right?
To play us out with a little happier music, here’s another angle of McClung’s last rim-rocker over Shaq, which only underscores how ridiculous this white boy’s ups really are.
MAC OVER SHAQ.
50 FOR THE WIN…
THAT'S BACK-TO-BACK. https://t.co/13bfmfVUlg pic.twitter.com/28lk4WRG9z— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
