On Saturday night Mac McClung made history by winning his third consecutive dunk contest. His performance wowed audiences with everything from jumping over cars to 360s and dunking two basketballs at once.
McClung’s performance was everything fans love about the dunk contest. His performance was so great it got many NBA stars talking on social media about the possibility of competing in the dunk contest. Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo were among the many showing appreciation for McClung’s efforts while hinting at their own desires to compete.
Mac McClung’s Dunk Contest Win
McClung’s epic three-peat has generated more hype than most dunk contests since the Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon dunk-off in 2016. He has done it, for the most part, without competition. Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr. were eliminated in the first round after missing their dunks. The only dunker that made things interesting with McClung was the San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle. Castle was the only other competitor who made all of their dunks and challenged McClung in the final round. He put forth a valiant effort with multiple athletic, difficult slams and was the only other dunker to score a 50. It was not enough to beat McClung.
From his first dunk, where he jumped over a car and threw down a reverse slam, it seemed like McClung’s three-peat was a forgone conclusion. Every single one of his dunks was arguably the best of the contest. Many have argued over McClung competing in the dunk contest because he is a G-League player. But if he is going to throw down dunks as well as he has, it should not matter. With his third win, McClung now has more dunk contest wins than he has dunks in an NBA game.
Star Players Showing Interest
The NBA dunk contest has been in an odd place since the LaVine and Gordon duel in 2016. Star players don’t want to risk injury by attempting crazy dunks, meaning most contests have been filled with lesser-known players. There has also been an issue with players missing dunks. There have been so many spectacular dunks over the years that there aren’t many new ideas that players can successfully execute. However, with McClung’s continued success, the dunk contest could be taking a turn for the better with more star players showing interest.
Morant was one of the first players to speak out on social media, showing his interest. On X, Morant posted, “mac might make me decide to dunk.” Antetokounmpo responded to this, showing similar interest. Morant later replied to his post, calling for LaVine and Gordan to join. This could give a big shakeup to the dunk contest in 2026. The contest caps out at four participants, and none of these stars may still be interested a year from now. The excitement McClung is generating around the event is undeniable.
If these star players follow through on their word, the 2026 dunk contest could be generational. If McClung is willing to defend his title for a fourth time, there is a hypothetical lineup of McClung, Morant, Antetokounmpo, and Lavine. Even if a few of them back out, other stars like Anthony Edwards and Zion Williamson would be electric in a dunk contest. It may be naive optimism, but McClung could take the dunk contest to a whole new level.
Final Thoughts
McClung put together a historic dunk contest, and star players are finally showing interest. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come, with the event gaining more traction with big names competing. It would be a shame if this was all talk from Morant, Antetokounmpo, and others.
