Mac McClung has done it again.
For the second year in a row, the G League standout was the Slam Dunk champion, doing so in style with a reverse jam leaping over Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.
After posting 48 and 49.4 points in the first two rounds, McClung battled Boston Celtics All-Star guard Jaylen Brown in the finals.
Brown’s attempts, a tribute to late Kentucky basketball player Terrence Clarke and a lefty windmill over 2018 Slam Dunk winner Donovan Mitchell, were valiant but no match for McClung.
Following Brown’s final attempt, McClung needed a score of 49.1 or higher on his last dunk to win the title. Unsurprisingly, after soaring over Shaq, he received 50s across the board.
McClung is the fifth player to win consecutive Slam Dunk titles and the first since Zach LaVine in 2015 and 2016. He joins LaVine, Nate Robinson (2009, 2010), Jason Richardson (2002, 2003) and Michael Jordan (1987, 1988) as the only back-to-back winners.
A member of the Orlando Magic G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, McClung is averaging 23.6 points, 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds over 14 games this season.
The 25-year-old has appeared in four NBA games over three seasons, playing in two contests for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022-23, averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
