“Only” 1.88 tall, until a few days ago he played in the G-League: in the last few days he first signed with the 76ers then placed the 360° dunk that convinced the judges. In Lillard the three-point contest
In the sign of Mac McClung. The less noble name of the entire All Star Saturday, in fact, becomes the great protagonist of the day by winning the dunk contest with great personality.
Surprise
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These are no longer the times of Vince Carter or Nate Robinson and in recent years the Slam Dunk Contest has given emotions with a dropper, but in Salt Lake City for once a competition that made the history of the NBA returns to take the lights of the rebounds thanks to the prowess of a player who was still in the G-League until a few days ago. In fact, in just one week, McClung’s life changed as he signed a contract with the 76ers, became a spokesman for Puma and closed a magical period on a high note by winning the dunk contest. Three out of four dunks by the Tennessee-born player receive top honors and to cap it all McClung outlasts his finals opponent, Trey Murphy III of the Pelicans, with a space-age 360 dunk that wows judges and Salt Lake fans alike city.
On Youtube
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Only 1.88 tall, the guard who has acquired a certain popularity on YouTube for the videos of his high school dunks, and it is no coincidence that for his last dunk he wore the Gate City shirt, his high school, can boast an absolutely explosive unbelievable, shown to the whole world from the Vivint Arena parquet. Suddenly, the former G-League rookie of the year became a celebrity for NBA fans. “I’ve always been an “underdog” – underlined Mac McClung at the end of the event – but this is a source of motivation for me. Being able to prove something to those who criticize you and those who don’t trust you is a great satisfaction. Winning the dunk contest was like a dream come true, I’m very happy.”
The king from three
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If an absolutely unknown player takes the stage, in the Saturday event there is also room for the triumph of an NBA star, Damian Lillard who wins the three-man match by overcoming Buddy Hield in the final, right at the photo finish. The leader of the Blazers, one of the big favorites of the competition on the eve, passes the first round together with Hield and a great Haliburton who scores 31 points. However, the Indiana player struggles in the final, Hield scores 25 points and Lillard, who wears the shirt of his university, Weber State whose campus is half an hour’s drive from the Jazz arena, surpasses him with his last basket, thus closing at 26 and taking home the trophy reserved for the winner of the Three Point Contest. “It was obviously fate – says the Portland veteran – I returned to a very special place for me, where I spent four splendid years at college, and winning in front of so many friends and relatives is truly special”. Decidedly less spectacular, and also topped off by several mistakes, however, was the Skills Challenge which saw the home trio, Clarkson, Kessler and Sexton, triumph against the rookie team (Smith Jr., Banchero and Ivey) and the one that should have be the Antetokounmpo family, but due to Giannis’ right wrist injury he proposed alongside Thanasis and Alex, Jrue Holiday who then took over for his teammate at the Bucks. A truly spectacular All Star Saturday, however, that Salt Lake City fans won’t forget so easily.
February 19 – 08:31
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