Just earlier than the dunk contest started on the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend, basketball legend-analyst Shaquille O’Neal filmed himself saying to Mac McClung: “This is where you steal the show. Nobody knows your name.” Knows. Remind them of your title. And do not miss the sting!”
McClung did all that in Salt Lake City throughout 4 dunks. In reality, he carried out so effectively that Shaq and Magic Johnson later stated that McClung ‘saved the dunk contest’. LeBron James went even additional in his reward, placing McClung’s defiance of gravity on par with iconic performances previously by Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. With his accolades, three NBA superstars elevated a person who, till per week earlier than All-Star Weekend, not one of the NBA’s 30 groups even certified for a spot on their roster. Had understood.
Who is Mac McClung?
McClung is a 6 foot 2 inch guard in a small city in Virginia known as Gate City. He has performed in solely two NBA video games in his profession. After going undrafted within the 2021 NBA draft, he was enjoying for the Delaware Blue Coats within the NBA’s developmental league, the G League, when he was supplied a spot within the dunk contest. Soon after he agreed, he was given a two-way contract by the Philadelphia 76ers, permitting the staff 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.
Before he was unmasked, he was a YouTube sensation, with hundreds of clips highlighting his strikes. It’s not simply concerning the sting both. Clips on social media present him making an attempt audacious back-to-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 broke a sort of glass ceiling by turning into solely the second white participant ever to win the Dunk Contest – a 1992 Hollywood sports activities comedy known as White Men Can’t Jump. Thanks to that win, he obtained a good-looking $100,000 verify. As famous by the American media, that verify was roughly equal to what he earned in his profession enjoying within the NBA’s G League.
What was the large deal about McClung’s dunk?
McClung made 4 dunk makes an attempt within the contest.
On his first try in Round 1, he jumped over an individual sitting on one other individual’s shoulder, snatched the ball, touched the glass behind the rim whereas in mid-air, after which tossed the ball over his head. Drowned, whereas he couldn’t. see rim.
On his second try of spherical 1, he carried out a double-pump, 180-degree, two-arm windbreaker. That means he leaps into the air with the rim behind his head and pirouettes 180 levels earlier than dunking the ball – multi functional clean fluid movement.
On his first try within the finals of the Dunk Contest, he carried out a double-pump ‘Hissi’ two-handed reverse dunk. In brief, he jumped over a person who was holding the ball at face peak. While within the air, McClung snatched the ball, turned within the air till his again was turned to the rim, pumped a pretend, after which dunked the ball with each palms over his shoulders.
On his second try on the finals of the Dunk Contest, which he did whereas sporting his highschool jersey, he executed a two-handed 540-degree windmill reverse dunk. That means he leaps into the air, pirouettes 540 levels, after which does a double-handed dunk with the rim behind him.
Five judges, together with Jamal Crawford, Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins, gave him good scores of fifty for 3 out of 4 dunks.
What’s So Special About The Dunk Contest?
The skill to leap and dunk the ball right into a rim suspended 10 toes above the ground is one thing that has at all times been lionized in basketball. In the previous, the Dunk Contest has seen some spectacular makes an attempt, reminiscent of Michael Jordan dribbling from the foul line and Aaron Gordon leaping over the Orlando Magic mascot. Players reminiscent of Vince Carter and Dwight Howard have additionally grow to be synonymous with the dunk contest.
But afterward, like the remainder of All-Star weekend, the Dunk Contest had grow to be a colorless affair.
What is NBA All-Star Weekend?
NBA All-Star Weekend is a superb weekend that’s primarily a three-day business for the NBA. In a number of occasions, a few of the largest names within the league come out and do their greatest to make jaws drop. The centerpiece of the weekend is the All-Star Game (ASG) the place the league’s largest names play in an exhibition match on Sunday. The attract of ASG comes from the truth that you might be unlikely to have 5 superstars enjoying subsequent to one another on the identical staff because of the league’s funds cap. The ASG, nonetheless, is freed from such constraints and has stacked groups as Team USA within the Olympics.
Marks scored in ASG are undoubtedly not counted. But it offers gamers bragging rights and a much-needed likelihood to let their hair down. Team LeBron faces off towards Team Giannis on this 12 months’s ASG. In addition to the ASG Game, there are different occasions all through the week such because the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (the place actors reminiscent of Ranveer Singh and Simu Liu performed alongside comic Hasan Minhaj and tennis ace Frances Tiafoe); Skills Challenge (the place gamers representing groups compete on varied abilities), 3-Point Contest and Dunk Contest.
The Problem With The All-Star Game…
In principle, ASG appears like an inevitable encounter. Like seeing the Avengers assemble on the climax of a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, that too with the DC Universe’s Batman and Superman for added emphasis. But in actuality, the viewership of the game has been declining in recent times. According to experiences within the US, the 2023 ASG was the least watched All-Star Game in historical past, beating the earlier greatest set final season. A report in Sports Media Watch stated that Sunday’s ASG acquired 4.59 million viewers. In 2022, that quantity stood at 6.28 million viewers. Ratings declined by 29% in 2023, whereas viewership declined by 27%. Saturday’s motion additionally noticed its lowest numbers in additional than 20 years: 3.42 million viewers.
Michael Malone, who coached Team LeBron this 12 months, known as this 12 months’s ASG “the worst basketball game I’ve ever played.” Team Giannis beat Team LeBron 184-175, the inflated scoreline being an indicator of a non-existent protection. The motive why nobody takes protection critically in ASG is as a result of most superstars do not need to undergo accidents at a essential juncture of the season, with the playoffs solely 20-games away.
This season, future Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant, LeBron, Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo both sat out on account of damage or performed restricted minutes to guard their our bodies.
Another criticism of the All-Star weekend is that with social media making viral content material from the league accessible on a regular basis, the weekend has misplaced a lot of its appeal. For instance, on an virtually month-to-month foundation, there are clips on social media the place Steph Curry seems to be throwing a three-pointer from the bleachers as a part of his warm-up routine. In that case, what is the massive deal about seeing some NBA gamers compete in a three-point contest the place they’re given a place simply past the arc?
So despite the fact that ASG could have been “the worst basketball game ever played” and the weekend was a dreary affair, it was an undrafted, 6’2″, white man who was the most important star of All-Star weekend.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
