The 2024 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Weekend saw Mac McClung emerge as the champion, making him the sixth player to win the event twice and the first to achieve this feat in consecutive seasons since Zach LaVine in 2015-16. McClung’s winning dunk involved an impressive reverse dunk over the towering Shaquille O’Neal (7’1”), earning him a perfect score of 50 and securing back-to-back titles.
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN 🤯
Mac McClung is the back-to-back #ATTSlamDunk champion ‼️
Straight 5⃣0⃣'s#StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/p2sBx7h2IM
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
“You better not miss a dunk… All right, I won’t miss it.” – Mac McClung hails Shaq for extra motivation
Post his win, Mac McClung shared his emotions on when he saw Shaq put on his jersey as he expressed “Shaq is so cool to put on my high school jersey” Makes me emotional that he did that.” He also pointed out how his conversation with the basketball legend urged him to do his best as he stated “When he put it on, he said, You better not miss a dunk. And I was like, All right, I won’t miss it.”
Commenting on the creativity of the dunk, Mac McClung said “Just a lot of thinking. I don’t think I’ve worked so diligently on something so far away for a long time. I can’t lie to you and be like, oh, man, I just came up — it took a long time.”
Mac McClung’s victory marked a noteworthy achievement, and when asked about the possibility of going for a third consecutive win, he remained non-committal, stating, “I would never say never… It’s an honor to be here.”
Back-to-back NBA Dunk Contest Champion Mac McClung said he “believes” he deserves to be in the NBA and that he’s going to “keep fighting, I’m not going to quit no matter any other outcome”
He added “this is my human experience, this is my story and I’ve embraced it” pic.twitter.com/6eHBZg7QD8
— Fawzan Amer (@FawzanAmer_) February 18, 2024
The participating players in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest included Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat), Mac McClung (G League, Osceola Magic – defending champ), and Jacob Toppin (Knicks). The judging panel consisted of Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, Dominique Wilkins, Fred Jones, and Darnell Hillman.
Jaylen Brown with homage to Dominique 🙌
48.8 for the lead#ATTSlamDunk x #StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/BowLrT9LQ7
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Other highlights of the All-Star Weekend included the Ruffles Celebrity Game, where Team Shannon, led by NFL superstar Micah Parsons, triumphed over Team Stephen A. Damian Lillard and Mac McClung successfully defended their titles in the Starry 3-Point Contest and the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, respectively. The event also featured NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressing various league-related issues and discussing the future face of the league after LeBron James.
