Mac McClung reflects on back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk titles, discusses three-peat / News - Basketnews.com

Mac McClung clinches his second consecutive NBA Slam Dunk championship, making history with a flawless final dunk over Shaquille O'Neal and reflecting on the emotional journey from the G-League to back-to-back victories.

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G-League player Mac McClung clinched the second consecutive NBA Slam Dunk championship with a flawless final dunk, jumping over Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

Mac McClung

Position:PGAge:25Height:188 cmWeight:83 kgBirth place:Virginia, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Playing for the Osceola Magic, McClung secured victory over the Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown in the championship round.

"I'm trying to sit with it right now and take a second and understand what's going on," McClung said. "I feel like life is so fast sometimes. It's just I'll look back in 20 years when I can't jump anymore and not as quick. But I know I'm a lucky dude.

"Shaq is so cool to put on my high school jersey. Makes me emotional that he did that. When he put it on, he said, 'You better not miss a dunk.' And I was like, 'All right, I won't miss it.'"

McClung won $105,000, which is almost more than he will make in the G-League this season.

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He became the first player since Zach LaVine in 2015-16 to repeat as champion. When asked about attempting a third win, McClung remained non-committal, stating, "I don't know. We'll think about it. I'm not sure yet."

Nate Robinson stands as the sole player with three NBA Slam Dunk crowns, but not in a row.

Jaime Jaquez of the Miami Heat and Jacob Toppin of the Westchester Knicks G-League team faced first-round eliminations in this year's contest.

"It was like, 'OK, you've really got to bring something, and I think they want us to make our dunks on the first try, which I completely understand," McClung said. "So I knew it was time to lock in for the finals."

Every Mac McClung's dunk in the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest:

Full contest:

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