Given that he has spent a large portion of this season in the G-League, it seems strange that Mac McClung is currently the topic of conversation in the NBA. He was harshly ridiculed for participating in the Dunk Contest, but he proved everyone wrong. McClung swept the Dunk Contest, leaving many of the players present in awe of his spectacular dunks.
One of the more surprising critics of the situation was Kevin Durant. KD is a pure hooper who holds the game above all else. His reaction to approaching the Top 10 on the all-time scoring list shows that he genuinely cares about basketball and the NBA. And he was one of those people that thought that the lack of stars and superstars at the Dunk Contest was a bad sign for the league.
“We need Zion, we need Ja, I think the stars come back, and just add, because I mean it used to feel like there were stars in it every year when I was a kid. All the best players in the league, those guys I liked, were in the Dunk Contest…
“Mac McClung, that’s crazy that they doing that. No shade, but what we doing? And Mac is an outstanding athlete, but what are we doing? It used to be sacred to be a part of All-Star Weekend. Last year we had G-Leaguers come in and play in the rookie game. Now, like, what are we doing?”
Unfortunately for Kevin Durant, his comments have not aged well. Mac McClung not only won the Dunk Contest, but he also did it in style, bringing some of the glory back to the event. It was so good, that he had NBA legends thanking him for his performance, which makes KD’s take look even worse.
Stephen Curry Appreciated Mac McClung After His Performance In The Slam Dunk Contest
Stephen Curry was one of the stars that were quick to appreciate McClung. Having struggled to start his career, Curry’s journey was far from straightforward, and it’s no surprise that he appreciated McClung.
“Man was a viral HOH high school dunk phenom, still working his way to the League, but lemme go get that dunk contest trophy right quick and bring it back to life!!! Unreal.”
Magic Johnson was among the players to thank Mac for saving the Dunk Contest as well. This makes what Kevin Durant had to say look quite silly. However, his larger point remains, the NBA will need stars to come back for a long-term revival of the contest.
Source: fadeawayworld.net
