The 2022 NBA G-League Rookie of the Year Mac McClung was the betting favorite to win Saturday night’s Slam Dunk Contest despite playing in just two career NBA games.
And when the Delaware Blue Coats guard arrived in Salt Lake City, he made sure everybody remembered his performance.
The 24-year-old McClung posted not one, not two, but three perfect 50 score dunks en route to winning the slam dunk contest.
McClung edged Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III in the final, and also beat Rockets wing Kenyon Martin Jr. and Knicks center Jericho Sims in the initial rounds of the contest.
McClung posted three perfect score dunks, and one near-perfect dunk that was given one score of 49 by WNBA legend Lisa Leslie.
The first perfect dunk of the night sent the crowd into a frenzy, as McClung jumped over two people while clutching the ball off the backboard and through for a slam.
McClung’s second perfect dunk came as he jumped over a helper and double clutched for the backwards slam.
McClung’s final perfect dunk came in his second attempt of the final against Murphy. The G-League star rocked his high school jersey as he went baseline for a spinning slam that left no doubt as to who the slam dunk champion would be this year.
McClung capped off an exciting All-Star Saturday night in Salt Lake City that saw Team Jazz win the Skills Challenge and Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard capture the Three-Point Contest.
