Texas Tech basketball alum Mac McClung 3-peats as NBA Slam Dunk Champion

There once was a time when the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was can't-miss television. When legends such as Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Vince Carter were participating in the event, all eyes were on the signature competition of the NBA's All-Star weekend. Now, though, the only reason fans tune in is to see former Texas Tech basketball standout Mac McClung who won his third Slam Dunk Contest in a row on Saturday night.

A member of the Orlando Magic's G-League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, McClung dominated the event from the start. In fact, his first dunk of the night was as good as any previous winner's closing dunk.

On the dunk, McClung jumped over the roof of a car while taking the basketball out of the hands of someone who was standing through the car's sun roof and then he completed a reverse dunk to bring the crowd to its feet. Of course, that effort secured a perfect score.

His second dunk of the night saw him easily jump over a person and take the ball from that person's hands while completing a twisting reverse dunk with authority. That also earned him a perfect score of 50 from the judges.

In the first dunk of the finals, McClung jumped over a person who was rotating on a hoverboard taking the ball from that person and dunking it while also dunking another ball that he took from someone standing on a ladder near the rim. Though that dunk was a bit complicated given all the moving parts, it went off without a hitch and earned another 50 from the judges.

For his final dunk, McClung jumped over another person and took the ball from above that person's head. When he got to the rim, he hung in the air, touched the ball on the front of the rim, pulled it back, and then dunked it on his way down. That was good enough to earn his fourth perfect score of the evening.

Many people have criticized McClung's appearances in the dunk contest because he hasn't been on NBA rosters when he's participated in the event. However, the NBA should be thankful because he's single-handedly made the event worth checking out.

There is no question that he's become a fan favorite because he is not the typical NBA player. He stands only 6-foot-2 making him one of the smaller players to win the NBA Dunk Contest and history has taught us that players on the shorter side of the equation often generate more buzz in the dunk contest.

It isn't that McClung isn't playing good basketball, though. In his fourth season in the G-League, he is averaging 21.1 points and 5.4 assists per game. That comes on the heels of winning the 2024 G-League MVP award.

However, McClung just can't seem to get an opportunity to stick in the NBA. He had had a couple of brief stints in the league but he has never been able to hang around in the association.

In fact, the total money he had made by winning three NBA Dunk Contests is more than double what he's made in the G-League. Of course, his dunking ability has also made him a well-known figure to a generation of basketball fans as he has almost single-handedly kept the dunk contest alive.