untitled-design-2023-02-18t214759-554.png

For the first time, the NBA invited a G-League player to the Slam Dunk Contest, and for the first time, a G-Leaguer is now the NBA Slam Dunk champion. Mac McClung, recently signed to a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, has spent this season playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, but when he faced off against three NBA players the league chose, he took them down and earned the trophy with four of the best dunks the contest has seen in years.

The first involved quite a bit of showmanship. McClung jumped over two people -- with one sitting on another one's shoulders -- grabbed the ball from the higher of the two, tapped the ball off the backboard before throwing it down.

The second was a bit more traditional. McClung did a 360 with a two-handed pump and slam.

His third dunk was a mix of the first two: he grabbed the ball out of the hands of a helper while double-pumping in the air.

For dunk No. 4, McClung donned his high school jersey and completed the night with a 540-degree spin and slam.

McClung earned a score of 50 on three of his four dunks, with only his second coming in below a perfect score. He defeated New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III in the final round, with Jericho Sims and Kenyon Martin Jr. getting knocked out in the first round. McClung has only played in two NBA games thus far in his career, but he is officially the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk champion.