SAN FRANCISCO — Mac Clung owns the Dunk Contest.
He may not be an NBA player — he is currently on a two-way contract with Orlando and has played five NBA minutes this season — but he is the best dunker going. After stringing together four perfect scores in a row to win the Dunk Contest again on Saturday night, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA Dunk Contest three consecutive years. Nobody — not Jordan, not Kobe, not even three-time winners like Nate Robinson — did it three years in a row.
“I think the biggest thing is I genuinely love this contest, and I’m very honored to be here and just very appreciative,” he said.
McClug was what All-Star Saturday night needed.
He changed the energy in the Chase Center. Throughout All-Star Saturday night, things felt a little flat until two-time defending champion McClung got the building on its feet with his first dunk, re-creating the Blake Griffin dunk over a car.
MAC MCCLUNG ARE YOU KIDDING ⁉️🤯@Kia | #KiaK5 pic.twitter.com/NTNdB5l3gB
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025
McClung didn’t stop there — for his second dunk he threw down two balls, one taken from a guy spinning on a hoverboard and knocking in another up on the rim. McClung got a perfect score of 50 on that one, too (all of his dunks got perfect scores).
San Antonio’s Stephon Castle would have won a lot of years, he just had some John Stockton/Karl Malone timing. Still, the Spurs rookie was impressive on his way to a second-place finish (Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr. competed but were eliminated in the first round).
STEPHON CASTLE BRINGING THE CREATIVITY!
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025
TIMING WAS IMPECCABLE 😮💨😮💨#ATTSlamDunk on TNT pic.twitter.com/onhlvgIJ7V
“I mean, [McClung’s] dunks are crazy. I would give all his dunks 50, too, but I feel like he earned it and he did a great job,” Castle said.
McClung wasn’t done.
For his final dunk of the night, he jumped over 6'11" Evan Mobley standing on a board that raised him about five inches — and McClung tapped the front of the rim then dunked it.
Steph Curry couldn't believe what he saw 🤣 #ATTSlamDunk https://t.co/uLBlQwc14t pic.twitter.com/9tciN92Enw
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025
It’s just wild to see — and it’s inspiring other big name players who hint they may jump into the Dunk Contest down the line.
If you do it. I’ll do it with you 💯 https://t.co/dsKglTiTca
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 16, 2025
McClung is the reigning G-League MVP and now three-time Dunk Contest champion, but he still has yet to stick in the NBA.
“I love hooping more than I love dunking,” McClung said. “I really just am at peace with that, that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I’m going to keep applying pressure [to get into the NBA], for sure.”
Whatever happens on that front, McClung owns the Dunk Contest.
