The dunk contest at the Powerade Jam Fest on the first night of the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game week helped the all-star tournament start with a bang as Duke commit Sean Stewart took down the competition.
With Stewart’s dunk contest win and fellow Duke commit Jared McCain winning the 3-point contest, the Blue Devils swept the Jam Fest. Those weren’t the only two involved in the evening — Stewart got help from soon-to-be teammate Mackenzie Mgbako as well in one dunk.
See highlights below from Stewart’s win over opponents including Bronny James, Elmarko Jackson and Matas Buzelis. The McDonald’s All-American girls game will take place Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with the boys game scheduled to begin after it ends, around 9 p.m.
WATCH: Bronny James’ dunks at the 2023 Powerade JamFest
dunk contest
1.) Elmarko Jackson
2.) Mookie Cook
3.) Stephon Castle
4.) Ron Holland II
5.) Matas Buzelis
6.) Omaha Biliew
7.) Bronny James
8.) Jeremy Fears Jr.
9.) Sean Stewart— McDonald's All American Games (@McDAAG) March 27, 2023
Elmarko Jackson gets help from Ronald McDonald
It’s not a real McDonald’s event if the clown doesn’t show up.
Ronald McDonald stepped up to assist Kansas commit Elmarko Jackson with one of his dunks. Jackson leapt over the character and a child from the Ronald McDonald House Charities Houston for the slam.
Kansas commit Elmarko Jackson jumps over Ronald McDonald and a child from RMHC Houston and slams it in…name a more McDAAG dunk! #McDAAG pic.twitter.com/1i9UGjZqme
— Alexa Wootten (@AlexaWootten) March 28, 2023
Jackson, a four-star, 6-foot-3 point guard at South Kent School (Conn.), is ranked No. 22 in the nation.
Matas Buzelis has first 50 of the night
Matas Buzelis, the Sunrise Christian (Wichita, Kan.), ranked the No. 5 player in the country, had the first 50 of the night with this ridiculous dunk. It was between the legs, but not the way you’d assume.
PERFECT 10'S FOR MATAS BUZELIS 🤩 @SCNext
#PoweradeJamFest pic.twitter.com/jwbb0fCpIe— ESPN (@espn) March 28, 2023
Buzelis will be playing in the G League next season, but he still has a little more high school basketball action before he graduates. Sunrise Christian will play in the GEICO Nationals this weekend.
Bronny James' dunks
Bronny James had some nice dunks, but some needed multiple attempts before he could throw them down. In the end, those extra tries cost him as he couldn’t come out on top.
He threw down this dunk, which may have prompted this tweet from his LeBron, lightheartedly criticizing the fact that it didn’t get a 50.
BRONNY JAMES DUNK CONTEST. 🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 28, 2023
In his other attempts, he threw a windmill oop to himself and dunked it over his brother Bryce.
Took a few tries but Bronny dunks over Bryce pic.twitter.com/TPIFZVwxtj
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) March 28, 2023
James, a 6-foot-3 guard at Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), remains uncommitted heading into the All-American game.
Sean Stewart steals the show
Stewart, one of the five-star players at Montverde Academy, threw down a one-handed windmill as he leapt over Mgbako, a 6-foot-8 Roselle Catholic power forward, for one of his dunks. The two already have started creating chemistry they’ll need if the Blue Devils want to play up to their usual standard next season.
Duke bound Sean Stewart is electric ⚡️ @MVABasketball @Sean13Stewart @SCNext @McDAAG pic.twitter.com/9orH53cCwZ
— NIBC (@NIBCOfficial) March 28, 2023
Stewart didn’t quite go full Mac McClung on this, but he got plenty of air time to tap the ball off the backboard before slamming it home with this dunk.
Winner of the dunk contest: incoming #Duke forward Sean Stewart
Thought this was his best dunk. Really hard to pull off pic.twitter.com/Pa4zOgFlPq
— Wilko (@wilkomcv) March 28, 2023
He also threw down this near-360 windmill that had a surprisingly muted reaction from the crowd.
Duke commit Sean Stewart wins the 2023 McDonald’s All American Powerade JamFest 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Qa5JlUZLzb
— NIBC (@NIBCOfficial) March 28, 2023
In the end, it was Stewart’s night. The McDonald’s All-Americans will take the court again on Tuesday night before the GEICO Nationals, featuring Stewart and Montverde, begins on Thursday.
