Simply earlier than the Dunk Contest on the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend began, basketball legend-turned-analyst Shaquille O’Neal filmed himself telling Mac McClung: “That is the place you steal the present. No person is aware of your identify. Make them bear in mind your identify. And don’t miss a dunk!”
Over the course of 4 dunks, McClung did all of that at Salt Lake Metropolis. He did so properly, actually, that Shaq and Magic Johnson later stated that McClung had ‘saved the dunk contest’. LeBron James went even additional in his reward, placing McClung’s defiance of gravity on par with the long-lasting performances up to now by Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. With their reward, the three NBA superstars had placed on a lofty pedestal a person who, till per week earlier than the All-Star Weekend, not one of the 30 NBA groups had deemed worthy of even a spot on their rosters.
Who’s Mac McClung?
McClung is a 6-foot-2-inch guard from a small city in Virginia referred to as Gate Metropolis. He has performed in simply two NBA video games in his profession. After going undrafted within the NBA Draft in 2021, he was enjoying for the Delaware Blue Coats within the NBA’s developmental league, the G League, when he was provided a spot within the Dunk Contest. Quickly after he agreed, he was handed a two-way contract by the Philadelphia 76ers, which permits the crew to make use of him in both the NBA or the G League. He additionally signed a take care of Puma earlier than the dunk contest.
Earlier than going undrafted, he was a YouTube sensation, with hundreds of clips highlighting his strikes. He’s not simply in regards to the dunks both. Clips on social media present him making an attempt audacious behind-the-back spin strikes and jaw-dropping hook floaters from contained in the paint as a part of his spotlight reel.
At this 12 months’s All-Star Weekend, he shattered a glass ceiling of kinds — one immortalised by the 1992 Hollywood sports activities comedy referred to as White Males Can’t Soar — by changing into solely the second white participant to win the dunk contest. Because of that win, he pocketed a cool $1,00,000 cheque. As US media famous, that cheque almost matched his profession earnings whereas enjoying within the NBA’s G League.
What was the massive deal about McClung’s dunks?
McClung had 4 dunk makes an attempt within the contest.
In his first try in Spherical 1, he leapt over an individual sitting on the shoulder of one other individual, snatched the ball, touched the glass behind the rim whereas in mid-air, after which dunked the ball over his head whereas not with the ability to see the rim.
In his second try of Spherical 1, he did a double-pump, 180-degree, two-handed windmill. Which means he leapt into the air with the rim behind his head and pirouetted 180 levels earlier than dunking the ball — multi function easy fluid movement.
In his first try within the dunk contest remaining, he did a double-pump ‘hesi’ two-handed reverse dunk. In essence, he leapt over a person who was holding the ball at face top. Whereas airborne, McClung snatched the ball, rotated mid-air until his again was turned to the rim, did a faux pump after which dunked the ball over his shoulders with each fingers.
In his second try within the dunk contest remaining, which he did whereas sporting his highschool jersey, he did a 540-degree windmill two-handed reverse dunk. Which means he leapt within the air, pirouetted 540 levels, after which did a double-handed dunk with the rim behind him.
The 5 judges, which included Jamal Crawford, Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins, gave him excellent scores of fifty for 3 of the 4 dunks.
What’s particular in regards to the dunk contest?
The power to leap and dunk the ball into the rim that’s suspended at 10 toes above the ground is one thing that has all the time been lionised in basketball. Prior to now, the dunk contest has seen some spectacular efforts, like Michael Jordan taking off from the foul line and Aaron Gordon leaping over the Orlando Magic mascot. Gamers like Vince Carter and Dwight Howard have additionally change into synonymous with the dunk contest.
However off late, the dunk contest had change into a tepid affair, identical to the remainder of the All-Star weekend.
What’s the NBA All-Star Weekend?
The NBA All-Star Weekend is a spectacle-filled weekend that’s basically a three-day industrial for the NBA. Throughout a number of occasions, a few of the largest names within the league flip up and check out their greatest to make jaws drop. The centrepiece of the weekend is the All-Star Sport (ASG) the place the largest names of the league play in an exhibition match on Sunday. The attract of the ASG comes from the truth that you’re unlikely to search out 5 superstars enjoying subsequent to one another in the identical crew as a result of league’s finances caps. The ASG, nonetheless, is unhindered by such constraints and groups are as stacked as Staff USA on the Olympics.
Factors scored within the ASG don’t depend, after all. However what it gives the gamers is bragging rights and a much-needed likelihood to let their hair down. This 12 months’s ASG featured Staff LeBron dealing with Staff Giannis. In addition to the ASG sport itself, there are different occasions all through the week just like the NBA All-Star Celeb Sport (the place actors like Ranveer Singh and Simu Liu performed alongside comic Hasan Minhaj and tennis ace Frances Tiafoe); the Abilities Problem (the place gamers representing groups compete over varied abilities), the 3-Level Contest and the Dunk Contest.
The issue with the All-Star Sport…
In concept, the ASG looks like an unmissable encounter. Like watching the Avengers assemble on the climax of a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, that too with Batman and Superman from the DC Universe becoming a member of in for added emphasis. However in actuality, the sport’s viewership has been sagging lately. In keeping with experiences within the US, the 2023 ASG was the least-watched All-Star Sport in historical past, beating the earlier greatest that was set final season. A report by Sports activities Media Watch stated Sunday’s ASG racked up 4.59 million viewers. In 2022, that quantity was 6.28 million viewers. Scores dropped by 29% in 2023, whereas viewership dropped 27%. Saturday’s motion too noticed its lowest numbers in over 20 years: 3.42 million viewers.
Michael Malone, who was the Staff LeBron coach this 12 months, referred to as this 12 months’s ASG “the worst basketball sport ever performed”. Staff Giannis beat Staff LeBron 184-175, the inflated scoreline an indicator of non-existent defending. The explanation why nobody defends on the ASG severely is that the majority superstars don’t wish to choose up accidents at a vital juncture of the season with the Playoffs simply 20-odd video games away.
This season, future Corridor Of Famers like Kevin Durant, LeBron, Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo both sat out on account of an damage or performed restricted minutes to preserve their our bodies.
One other criticism of the All-Star weekend is that with social media making viral content material from the league accessible always, the attract of the weekend has lowered vastly. For instance, nearly on a month-to-month foundation, there are clips on social media the place Steph Curry is seen throwing a three-pointer from the bleachers as a part of his warm-up routine. In that case, what’s the huge deal about watching just a few NBA gamers compete within the three-point contest the place they’re given positions simply past the arc?
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So though the ASG might have been the “worst basketball sport ever performed” and the weekend was a tepid affair, it was an undrafted, 6’2″, white man who was the largest star of the All-Star weekend.