‘I’ll do it with you’ – Ja Morant and Giannis eye 2026 dunk contest against former two-time champion
Mac McClung's four-peat might be in trouble.
For the last three years, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has been known simply as the 'McClung Invitational.'
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On Saturday evening, McClung won his third consecutive dunk contest, defeating Stephon Castle in the final round.
Jumping over cars and people, dunking two basketballs at once, spinning and twisting in the air, McClung put on a show at the All-Star weekend's most popular event.
An event that was once so grand, it included the game's biggest stars going toe-to-toe with one another.
Unfortunately these days, the dunk contest has seen its star power crater.
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The once-proud event has taken a considerable nosedive for the last decade or so, and has had to be saved by a G League player for the third year in a row.
As incredible as McClung has been the last three years with his jaw-dropping performances, he's played a grand total of three NBA games.
He's not exactly the box-office superstar that NBA commissioner Adam Silver probably wants winning the event year in, year out.
However, McClung's performance on Saturday may have awoken a few beasts.
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A few beasts that reside at the top of the NBA food chain.
Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zach LaVine all took notice at McClung's third consecutive title, and hinted at participating in the event in 2026.
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"Mac might make me decide to dunk," Morant posted on X.
"Zach & AG wassup," he followed it up with, calling out LaVine and Aaron Gordon.
The two men arguably responsible for saving the dying event in 2015 and 2016.
"Thinking I might have too again...," the two-time slam dunk contest champion, LaVine wrote back.
This caught the eye of the biggest fish of them all, two-time league MVP and NBA champion Antetokounmpo.
"If you do it. I’ll do it with you," replied Antetokounmpo to Morant's original post.
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"Just gotta warm up for three weeks prior to the contest," Antetokounmpo joked.
Silver and the NBA would be rolling out the red carpet, if these superstars decided to join in on the fun next year.
An event that once featured the likes of Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving, all at once, now provides very little substance and sizzle.
The game's biggest stars just don't want to partake for one reason or another.
LeBron James has notably never participated in the event.
As mentioned, the lack of stars wasn't always the case.
NBA legend Charles Barkley gets booed whilst on stage in San Francisco
Kobe Bryant won it in 1997.
Vince Carter had his historic performance and victory in 2000.
Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin and Donovan Mitchell have all been crowned dunk contest champions in the past.
As great as he has been, McClung can only do so much.
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The NBA will need its superstars to bring the event back to what it once was.
And Morant, Antetokounmpo and LaVine wouldn't be a bad place to start.
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