Mac McClung capped off All-Star Saturday night with a thrilling performance in the Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the first player ever to three-peat in the competition. McClung’s heroics appear to have inspired Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, who took to X to state he might decide to take part after watching this.
“Mac might make me decide to dunk.”
It would be incredible to see Morant, who’s averaging 20.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2024-25, in the dunk contest. He is one of the best in the business but has repeatedly declined to participate over the years.
Morant even once went as far as to ask for $1 million to take part in the contest, knowing full and well he was never going to get that. If McClung really has inspired the two-time All-Star to take part now, then the G League guard deserves even more props than he’s getting for saving the contest.
A battle between Morant and McClung would be must-watch TV, but the Grizzlies guard wants to make it more special. Moments after putting out that post, he sent out another in which he hit up Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon.
“Zach and AG wassup.”
A dunk contest between McClung, Morant, LaVine, and Gordon might just break the internet. It would make the contest the biggest attraction at All-Star weekend, as was the case once upon a time.
How likely is this? Well, McClung didn’t rule out taking part next year too, so maybe he and Morant would be in. As for LaVine, he hinted at a potential return to the contest back in January.
That leaves us with Gordon and he is the unlikeliest to participate among these four. The Denver Nuggets forward infamously finished runner-up to LaVine in 2016 and Derrick Jones Jr. in 2020 and was rather upset about it. Would he want to take part again?
It’s doubtful, but back in 2023, Gordon stated he would participate in the Dunk Contest if he was selected for the All-Star Game. The 29-year-old is unlikely to ever be an All-Star but considering he didn’t shut the door regarding a return to the contest, perhaps you can be a bit optimistic that he’d at least think about it.
If Gordon does back out, it looks like we will have a great replacement for him. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who saw the contest firsthand, reacted to Morant’s post by stating he would take part if the Grizzlies guard was in.
“If you do it. I’ll do it with you 100.”
Antetokounmpo added that he would need three weeks to warm up. We haven’t had an all-time great take part in the Dunk Contest in ages so it would be amazing if the Milwaukee Bucks star is in next year.
These big names agreeing to take part might also inspire others to do so in the years that follow. That would well and truly revive the dunk contest and we’d have McClung to thank for putting things in motion with his iconic displays.
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