The AT&T Slam Dunk Contest used to be the highlight of the NBA All-Star Saturday festivities. In the past, some dunk contests have been so good that they overshadowed the All-Star Game. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case over the past few years. Stars refusing to participate and the lack of innovation by contestants has become a problem. However, one man has been able to save the annual showcase single-handedly. Mac McClung has been phenomenal for the past three years.
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After winning the Slam Dunk Contest 2025, he has become the only player in the history of the league to three-peat the contest. But immediately after his win, McClung gave an update that might upset a lot of fans.
While Mac McClung never officially announced his retirement, he seemingly hinted towards it.
When asked towards the end of his post-win interview if he’ll have something else in store for the next year, McClung said, “This might be it for me, but we’ll see.” He left the fans and the NBA with one condition. The 26-year-old said, “If they want me back bad enough, I’ll think about it.”
"We'll see" 👀
Mac McClung on if he'll be back after his #ATTSlamDunk 3-Peat when asked by @ALaForce 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/7LEqo9bs14
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2025
He immediately received a roaring response from the fans inside the arena, stating that they wanted to see him back again. The commentators’ table echoed the same sentiment, “We do need him. He has saved the Dunk Contest.” A little later, he said, ” I think this might be it for me. I’ll never say never. This one was probably the most I ever prepared for any contest in my life.”
Mac on if this will be his last dunk contest:
"I'll never say never. This one was probably the most I ever prepared for any contest in my life" pic.twitter.com/OmwQo6X6qM
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 16, 2025
Fans can hold on to the fact that he didn’t shut the door on future possibilities of him being back at the Dunk Contest. So, there’s a good chance that we might get to see him again. In this year’s exhibition, McClung put on a show, like he does every year.
He put a lot of thought and preparation into his dunks, which showed a stark difference between him and his competition. One of his dunks included jumping over a Kia K5 car with an assistant holding the ball up for him from inside the car’s sunroof.
McClung also used a person spinning on a hoverboard holding a ball and another man holding a ball at the rim while standing on a ladder as his prop for another dunk. He competed against Stephon Castle in the final round and won with a perfect score of 50. His final dunk was over Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, 6’11 standing on a five-inch elevated platform.
