Nobody needs to be shocked that Mac McClung received the dunk contest. If you’re a hoops fan, McClung has been within the public eye for a while now as a result of he can dunk properly sufficient to go viral. Add in that he’s a 6-foot-2 white man, and you’ve got a recipe for web fame.
Before I am going any additional, I simply need to say congrats to McClung. Seriously. That felt like watching somebody’s desires come true.
He was a three-star prospect popping out of highschool, spent two years at Georgetown, averaged 13 factors on 11 makes an attempt his freshman 12 months, and 15 on 13 pictures as a sophomore earlier than transferring to Texas Tech. After a junior marketing campaign of placing up 15 factors on 12 tries per recreation, McClung entered the 2021 NBA Draft and didn’t get chosen.
He hasn’t performed in an NBA recreation this season after showing in two video games a 12 months in the past, every for a unique franchise. The Philadelphia 76ers simply signed him to a two-way deal, and I doubt we’ll see him get any actual run if he will get in a recreation in any respect.
However, he did this Saturday evening.
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That man is knowledgeable dunker. Three of his 4 dunks obtained good scores, and the opposite missed out on a 50 by share factors. The second time he jumped over folks was sort of redundant, however he made every thing on the primary strive. Considering what we’ve turn out to be accustomed to at what was as soon as All-Star Weekend’s largest occasion subsequent to the sport itself, this was a present.
There’ve been previous weekends when the excitement from the dunk contest carried over to Sunday, and as a fan, it’s actually particular when that occurs. If you’ll be able to shock and awe NBA gamers, guys who see a few of the best athletes on the planet night-to-night, then you have got my consideration and admiration.
And that leaves me at a loss. McClung is extra YouTube sensation than skilled basketball participant, and I don’t know whether or not to be impressed or pissed. If the league desires to open up the dunk contest to amateurs, that’s effective. Let’s see what the And 1 hoopers are as much as. McClung did a 540? So what. The Air Up There did a 720 dunk like a decade in the past. (“HE DID IT TWICE IN THE AIR!”)
The dying knell for the dunk contest sounded as soon as the largest names grew to become extra involved with preserving their picture than chancing embarrassment. I believed if anybody wouldn’t give a shit about that it’d be Ja Morant, however nope, he handed regardless of attempting to kill actual NBA facilities on a weekly foundation.
Even a rookie like Shaedon Sharpe, whose head eclipses the rim thrice a recreation, spurned the chance. And, truthfully, who might blame them? Why danger getting upstaged by a man that’s six months away from solely being broadcast on TikTok?
Dame Time delivers in Utah
Damian Lillard grew to become the primary Portland Trail Blazer to win the three-point contest, and he did it in typical, clutch trend, ready till the final ball on the final rack to high former winner Buddy Hield.
It was a bit anticlimactic as a result of Tyrese Haliburton nonetheless had but to go, however he wasted all his juice on the 31 he posted within the opening spherical. Lillard performed school ball at Weber State, about 36 minutes north of Salt Lake City, and ingratiated himself additional to the house crowd by donning his Wildcats jersey together with his nickname “Dolla” on the again.
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