Mac McClung’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest three-peat might save the competition solely by convincing some big stars to participate, including one former champion.
Zach LaVine, a two-time Dunk Contest champion, teased a potential return after McClung wowed the audience Saturday in San Francisco. After Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant teased his own potential participation in next year’s event, LaVine wrote on X that he was “thinking I might have (to) again.”
LaVine won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016 as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, wowing fans with one of the more memorable performances in recent Dunk Contest history. He did not go for three in a row in 2017, and has since said that he no longer feels strongly about competing in the event. Perhaps something changed when McClung succeeded in besting his back-to-back titles.
McClung hinted that he might not want to go for a fourth straight title next year. Whether that impacts LaVine’s thinking one way or another remains to be seen, but the bar has been set pretty high.
LaVine was dealt to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline and is averaging 21.5 points per game in six games since the deal. Though he has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, he can still throw it down, and many fans will be hoping he follows through on his hint here.
