Stunning Shocker at NBA Dunk Contest: Spurs Stars Disqualified for Cheating!

Mac McClung is content to let others determine his place among the greats of dunking.

However, in the realm of dunk contests, there’s no doubt he stands unrivalled.

The G League standout dazzled at the NBA All-Star event on Sunday (AEDT), achieving perfect scores of 50 for all four of his awe-inspiring and inventive dunks, making him the first player to clinch three consecutive dunk contest titles.

“It feels a bit like a blur,” he remarked.

“I genuinely love doing this. That passion fuels my creativity in this contest, and I just enjoy dunking.”

Nate Robinson stands as the only other player to have secured the dunk contest title three times, having won in 2006 and then again in 2009-10.

To secure victory over San Antonio’s Stephon Castle in the final round, McClung had to be virtually flawless. Castle had initially scored 49.6 before achieving a perfect 50 with a stunning behind-the-back transition from his right hand to his left before the dunk.

McClung rose to the occasion, having now won as many dunk contests as NBA games under his belt, as he’s only participated in five.

In his final dunk, McClung had 211cm Evan Mobley positioned on a platform near the hoop.

With Mobley holding the ball high behind his head, the 188cm McClung soared over him, tapped the rim with the ball, and completed the dunk, much to the elation of the crowd and judges.

His thrilling performance sparked conversations among NBA legends like Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo about stepping into the contest to challenge McClung.

“I believe the contest is a fantastic spectacle,” McClung noted.

“I know fans often seek out bigger names to participate, and I would love to see that happen. It’s essential that those involved genuinely want to take part.”

“This dunk contest holds a special place for all of us, and we cherish it.”

McClung’s initial dunk in the final round featured a mid-air windmill dunk with his right hand while simultaneously slamming another ball with his left hand from near the hoop.

He also garnered two perfect scores in the first round.

In one instance, a car was parked in the lane with a participant emerging from the sunroof holding the ball.

McClung leapt over the car, caught the ball, and executed a reverse behind-the-head dunk that left the crowd in awe, earning a perfect score of 50.

Despite having secured his place in the final, McClung didn’t hold back on his next attempt.

He jumped over an individual holding the ball, completing an impressive twisting no-look dunk that had baseball star Barry Bonds up on his feet for yet another 50.

McClung shared that he dedicated eight or nine months to prepare for this contest and is uncertain if he’ll attempt to go for a fourth consecutive title.

“I don’t want to say never, but this one really took a lot out of me,” he admitted.

Castle advanced with more conventional dunks, earning a total score of 95.

Chicago’s Matas Buzelis and Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr were both eliminated in the opening round.

3-point contest

Tyler Herro from Miami edged out Golden State’s Buddy Hield to take home the 3-point contest title.

Damian Lillard missed the opportunity to join Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to claim three consecutive 3-point championships, finishing with a score of 18, just one point shy of Herro’s qualifying score for the finals.

Herro set the pace in the final after finishing third in the opening round, racking up 24 points.

He successfully made both special shots worth three points and netted three out of five from the money-ball rack, each worth two points.

Hield had a dazzling opening round with 31 points but began the final by missing his first six attempts.

However, he found his rhythm following that rocky start, igniting the home crowd, but fell just short of a win despite finishing strong with 23 points after making the final money ball.

“I’m just pleased, relishing the moment and glad to be here,” reflected Herro.

“I was definitely nervous going into the first round. But I felt I performed quite well in the second round, and then Buddy had a chance to tie it at the end. It was an incredible competition featuring a lot of great shooters; still, I’m just thankful to be here.”

Darius Garland secured third place with 19 points in the final.

Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, Norman Powell from the Clippers, Cade Cunningham of Detroit and Jalen Brunson from New York all failed to progress beyond the first round.

Skills Challenge

The Cleveland duo of Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell triumphed in the NBA’s Skills Challenge, defeating the hometown heroes Moses Moody and Draymond Green.

This followed San Antonio’s duo of Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul being disqualified for attempting to flout the rules during the obstacle course, which included various shooting and passing drills.

The Cavaliers set the early pace in the final round, completing the course in 1 minute and 0.3 seconds, with Mobley and Mitchell making most of their shots on the first try.

“It was a fun experience, honestly,” said Mobley, who also participated in the winning team last year.

“The first round was a bit shaky as we had to get back into the groove, but in the second round, everything clicked for us, and Donovan followed right behind to secure the win.”

Moody easily navigated the first round for Golden State, but Green faltered, missing all three of his chest passes and struggling with his shooting.

He couldn’t reach the final two stations before the timer expired, falling short of Cleveland’s time.

Wembanyama and Paul kicked things off in the opening round but were met with loud booing for their lack of effort on their shots, merely tossing balls off the racks.

As a result, they were ultimately disqualified.

“We attempted something we believed could give us the best time,” Paul commented.

“It was fun, seeing if we could achieve the fastest time.”

The rookie duo of Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher and Washington’s Alex Sarr also faced elimination in the first round.