How Mac McClung, an undrafted participant who was dropped by G League groups, grew to become ‘saviour’ of NBA’s Dunk Contest

Just earlier than the Dunk Contest on the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend began, basketball legend-turned-analyst Shaquille O’Neal filmed himself telling Mac McClung: “This is where you steal the show. Nobody knows your name. Make them remember your name. And don’t miss a dunk!”

Over the course of 4 dunks, McClung did all of that at Salt Lake City. He did so properly, the truth is, that Shaq and Magic Johnson later stated that McClung had ‘saved the dunk contest’. LeBron James went even additional in his reward, placing McClung’s defiance of gravity on par with the long-lasting performances previously by Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. With their reward, the three NBA superstars had placed on a lofty pedestal a person who, till every week earlier than the All-Star Weekend, not one of the 30 NBA groups had deemed worthy of even a spot on their rosters.

Who is Mac McClung?

McClung is a 6-foot-2-inch guard from a small city in Virginia known as Gate City. He has performed in simply two NBA video games in his profession. After going undrafted within the NBA Draft in 2021, he was taking part in for the Delaware Blue Coats within the NBA’s developmental league, the G League, when he was provided a spot within the Dunk Contest. Soon after he agreed, he was handed a two-way contract by the Philadelphia 76ers, which permits the crew to make use of him in both the NBA or the G League. He additionally signed a cope with Puma earlier than the dunk contest.

Before going undrafted, he was a YouTube sensation, with hundreds of clips highlighting his strikes. He’s not simply concerning the dunks both. Clips on social media present him making an attempt audacious behind-the-back spin strikes and jaw-dropping hook floaters from contained in the paint as a part of his spotlight reel.

At this 12 months’s All-Star Weekend, he shattered a glass ceiling of types — one immortalised by the 1992 Hollywood sports activities comedy known as White Men Can’t Jump — by changing into solely the second white participant to win the dunk contest. Thanks to that win, he pocketed a cool $1,00,000 cheque. As US media famous, that cheque practically matched his profession earnings whereas taking part in within the NBA’s G League.

What was the massive deal about McClung’s dunks?

McClung had 4 dunk makes an attempt within the contest.

In his first try in Round 1, he leapt over an individual sitting on the shoulder of one other individual, snatched the ball, touched the glass behind the rim whereas in mid-air, after which dunked the ball over his head whereas not with the ability to see the rim.

In his second try of Round 1, he did a double-pump, 180-degree, two-handed windmill. That means he leapt into the air with the rim behind his head and pirouetted 180 levels earlier than dunking the ball — multi functional clean fluid movement.

In his first try within the dunk contest ultimate, he did a double-pump ‘hesi’ two-handed reverse dunk. In essence, he leapt over a person who was holding the ball at face peak. While airborne, McClung snatched the ball, rotated mid-air until his again was turned to the rim, did a pretend pump after which dunked the ball over his shoulders with each fingers.

In his second try within the dunk contest ultimate, which he did whereas sporting his highschool jersey, he did a 540-degree windmill two-handed reverse dunk. That means he leapt within the air, pirouetted 540 levels, after which did a double-handed dunk with the rim behind him.

The 5 judges, which included Jamal Crawford, Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins, gave him excellent scores of fifty for 3 of the 4 dunks.

What is particular concerning the dunk contest?

The capacity to leap and dunk the ball into the rim that’s suspended at 10 toes above the ground is one thing that has at all times been lionised in basketball. In the previous, the dunk contest has seen some spectacular efforts, like Michael Jordan taking off from the foul line and Aaron Gordon leaping over the Orlando Magic mascot. Players like Vince Carter and Dwight Howard have additionally turn out to be synonymous with the dunk contest.

But off late, the dunk contest had turn out to be a tepid affair, identical to the remainder of the All-Star weekend.

What’s the NBA All-Star Weekend?

The NBA All-Star Weekend is a spectacle-filled weekend that’s primarily a three-day business for the NBA. Across a number of occasions, among the largest names within the league flip up and check out their finest to make jaws drop. The centrepiece of the weekend is the All-Star Game (ASG) the place the most important names of the league play in an exhibition match on Sunday. The attract of the ASG comes from the truth that you’re unlikely to search out 5 superstars taking part in subsequent to one another in the identical crew as a result of league’s finances caps. The ASG, nonetheless, is unhindered by such constraints and groups are as stacked as Team USA on the Olympics.

Points scored within the ASG don’t rely, after all. But what it gives the gamers is bragging rights and a much-needed probability to let their hair down. This 12 months’s ASG featured Team LeBron dealing with Team Giannis. Besides the ASG recreation itself, there are different occasions all through the week just like the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (the place actors like Ranveer Singh and Simu Liu performed alongside comic Hasan Minhaj and tennis ace Frances Tiafoe); the Skills Challenge (the place gamers representing groups compete over numerous abilities), the 3-Point Contest and the Dunk Contest.

The drawback with the All-Star Game…

In idea, the ASG looks as if an unmissable encounter. Like watching the Avengers assemble on the climax of a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, that too with Batman and Superman from the DC Universe becoming a member of in for added emphasis. But in actuality, the sport’s viewership has been sagging in recent times. According to stories within the US, the 2023 ASG was the least-watched All-Star Game in historical past, beating the earlier finest that was set final season. A report by Sports Media Watch stated Sunday’s ASG racked up 4.59 million viewers. In 2022, that quantity was 6.28 million viewers. Ratings dropped by 29% in 2023, whereas viewership dropped 27%. Saturday’s motion too noticed its lowest numbers in over 20 years: 3.42 million viewers.

Michael Malone, who was the Team LeBron coach this 12 months, known as this 12 months’s ASG “the worst basketball game ever played”. Team Giannis beat Team LeBron 184-175, the inflated scoreline an indicator of non-existent defending. The purpose why nobody defends on the ASG critically is that almost all superstars don’t need to choose up accidents at a vital juncture of the season with the Playoffs simply 20-odd video games away.

This season, future Hall Of Famers like Kevin Durant, LeBron, Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo both sat out attributable to an damage or performed restricted minutes to preserve their our bodies.

Another criticism of the All-Star weekend is that with social media making viral content material from the league accessible always, the attract of the weekend has lowered drastically. For instance, nearly on a month-to-month foundation, there are clips on social media the place Steph Curry is seen throwing a three-pointer from the bleachers as a part of his warm-up routine. In that case, what’s the huge deal about watching a couple of NBA gamers compete within the three-point contest the place they’re given positions simply past the arc?

So despite the fact that the ASG could have been the “worst basketball game ever played” and the weekend was a tepid affair, it was an undrafted, 6’2″, white man who was the most important star of the All-Star weekend.