Report: Mac McClung returning to NBA Slam Dunk Contest, finalizes field

The Kansas City Chiefs won’t be the only ones going for a three-peat in the coming weeks.

Reigning two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion Mac McClung is reportedly returning to the competition this year to defend his title, per ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.

If the 26-year-old were to win the event at All-Star Weekend hosted by the Golden State Warriors in three weeks, he’d be the first three-time dunk contest winner.

With McClung’s return, the four-man field is set. The high-flyer will compete against a pair of rookies in San Antonio Spurs‘ Stephon Castle and Chicago Bulls‘ Matas Buzelis, along with Milwaukee Bucks sophomore Andre Jackson Jr.

McClung is currently on a two-way deal with the Orlando Magic and has brought a bit of life back to an otherwise tepid event in recent years. He became just the fifth person to win back-to-back dunk contests last year in Indiana, notably dunking over 7-foot-1 NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal despite measuring in at just 6-foot-2 himself.

While 11-year veteran Nate Robinson is currently the NBA’s lone three-time dunk contest champ, his titles didn’t come consecutively.

McClung has spent the 2024-25 season in the G League with Orlando’s affiliate squad, the Osceola Magic. He’s played in all 10 of the team’s regular season contests, averaging 24.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists with 52.5/36.2/83.3 per cent shooting splits.