Mac McClung made NBA history Saturday by becoming the first player ever to win three Slam Dunk Contests in a row, launching himself into a series of jaw-dropping dunks at the NBA All-Star Saturday Night show, MySportDab Reports.
Playing for the Miami Heat, Tyler Herro also showed out as he won the 3-Point Contest, defeating the Golden States’ Buddy Hield in a heated final.
McClung, a 26-year-old player on an Orlando Magic G-League team, wowed fans with four perfect 50-point dunks, becoming just the second three-time Slam Dunk Contest winner after Nate Robinson.
For his final dunk, McClung jumped over a tall man, rim-tapped the ball and finished with a huge slam to clinch his three-peat.
“Honestly, things like this don’t happen if a lot of people around don’t lift you up. McClung said, “I had so much help. “Gym owners were opening gyms to put a car in,” said Pezzilli. Guys were allowing me to use their car. “I’m just really thankful right now.”
His show-stopping first-round dunks featured leaping over a car and executing a reverse slam and soaring over a man and slamming home a power dunk.
Facing off against San Antonio’s Stephon Castle in the final round, McClung delivered another jaw-dropping performance, winning the dunk contest behind a perfect two-handed dunk where he tapped in an additional ball mid-air.
Despite his historic achievement, McClung hinted this could be his last appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest. “This might be the last time for me, but we’ll see,” he said. “I’ll consider going back if they want me back bad enough.”
For the 3-Point Contest, Herro bested Hield in a thrilling final that saw him take home the victory, 24-23. The 2020 champion, Hield rallied late but fell short after missing his first seven shots.
“I was lucky,” Herro said. “I felt like Buddy was going to skip the last five there. It was a great competition.”
In other news, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley grabbed the All-Star Skills Challenge, and Team Spurs, which included Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul, was disqualified for not making any valid shot attempts.
