NBA All-Stars: Mac McClung wins slam dunk contest with 540-degree stunner

Salt Lake City, Utah - One of the highlights of the annual NBA All-Star Weekend is the slam dunk contest, and this year's winner Mac McClung put on a show fans aren't likely to forget.

Mac McClung stunned the judges with a near-perfect performance during NBA All-Star Weekend's annual slam dunk contest.
Mac McClung stunned the judges with a near-perfect performance during NBA All-Star Weekend's annual slam dunk contest.  © IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

Mac McClung made history as the first G-league athlete ever to compete in the slam dunk contest as he took on Houston Rockets forward K.J. Martin, New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, and New York Knicks center Jericho Sims.

At 6'2", McClung was the definite underdog. His opponents were five to eight inches taller and had plenty of pro experience under their belts.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old guard stunned the five judges with a near-perfect performance to seal the win, including a tap-the-glass dunk over two people, a 360 windmill, and a double-pump reverse.

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His most impressive shot came in the last round. Wearing his high school jersey, McClung soundly defeated the other finalist, Trey Murphy III, with a jaw-dropping 540-degree jam.

At the end of the contest, McClung's score card read 50.0, 49.8, 50.0, 50.0, giving him three out of four perfect scores.

Mac McClung is shooting for the stars after his slam dunk win

During the contest, McClung donned his high school jersey in which he broke records and became an internet sensation with his viral Ballislife mixtapes.

These days, the guard is fighting for his shot in the pros after playing this season with the Delaware Blue Coats. He has also played a brief stint with the Chicago Bulls and played with the South Bay Lakers, the LA Lakers' G-league affiliate, where he won the 2021–22 NBA G League Rookie of the Year award and was called up for the Lakers' season finale.

Just four days before the slam dunk contest, McClung was signed to a two-week contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He wore his new jersey on the court for the first time during All-Star Weekend.

Could McClung's impressive slam dunk performance be the start of bigger and better things in the NBA for the promising athlete?

Cover photo: IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

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