Mac McClung may have solitarily broughtback the shine on a dunk contest that hasactually been commonly panned in current years.
And Damian Lillard represented his school and his brandname, doing them both happy.
McClung, the 6-foot-2 Philadelphia guard on a two-way agreement, beat New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III in the finals of the dunk contest, culminating an NBA All-Star Saturday that might have lastly addressed the concern as to whether what utilized to be the league’s signature occasion can be glitzy onceagain.
McClung had the respondto: Absolutely.
“I’m genuinely blessed and grateful for the NBA offering me this chance,” McClung stated.
A 540-degree dunk — not a 360, a 540, him doing one-and-a-half rotations in the air — was his 3rd ideal rating of the night out of 4 dunks, however by the time the judges’ ratings came up it was currently chose. Everyone in the structure understood he’d currently won.
“It’s over,” McClung stated.
It was. And he rightaway dedicated to safeguarding his title at Indianapolis at All-Star Saturday next year.
“If you men will have me, I’ll be back,” McClung stated.
[NBA All-Star highlights: Mac McClung stuns in Slam Dunk Contest]
His is an amazing story: McClung has played mainly in the G League. Philadelphia would endupbeing his 3rd NBA group, and he hasn’t even played for the 76ers . He played in one videogame last season for the Chicago Bulls, one other videogame for the Los Angeles Lakers.
He has 3 NBA baskets.
He had 4 soaks on Saturday night. A person with more soaks than real NBA field objectives may haveactually conserved the dunk contest.
“Give this male his flowers, male,” TNT analyst Kenny Smith stated.
McClung set the tone for the night with a dunk that had NBA superstars in shock — he jumped over 2 individuals, took the ball out of the hands of one of them, tapped it on the backboard and then tossed down a reverse slam.
And that was simply for beginners.
Riding the momentum of that best dunk, he injury up raising the prize that was freshly relabelled for soaking legend — and previous 76ers star — Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
McClung was almost best on his 2nd dunk as well; 4 judges provided him a ideal 50, Lisa Leslie offered him a 49 as the just dissenter, however it didn’t matter — he was currently ensured a area in the last round versus Murphy.
New York’s Jericho Sims provided himself a 50 on his 2nd dunk, where he connected an envelope to the net, pulled it down after the dunk and showed “50” to the world. No judge concurred, and his two-dunk rating of 95.4 wasn’t great adequate to make the last round.
Also removed after Round 1: Houston’s Kenyon Martin Jr., with a rating of 93.2.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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