{"id":124095,"date":"2025-02-17T00:26:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T05:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=124095"},"modified":"2025-02-17T00:26:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T05:26:46","slug":"ja-morant-convince-star-players-2026-nba-dunk-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/17\/ja-morant-convince-star-players-2026-nba-dunk-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"3-Time NBA Slam Dunk Winner&#8217;s Dominance May Convince 3 Star Players to Return to Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/24\/tj-warren-3-nba-prospects-g-league-winter-showcase\/\" target=\"_self\">G-League<\/a> star <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mccluma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mac McClung&#8217;s<\/a> three-peat as slam dunk champion at the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/15\/nba-all-star-game-olympics\/\" target=\"_self\">NBA All-Star<\/a> weekend on Saturday may actually bring back stars to competition. But even before McClung joined the rarified air as the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/16\/wendell-moore-jr-golden-opportunity-final-chance-nba\/\" target=\"_self\">Association&#8217;s<\/a> best dunker, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/16\/memphis-grizzlies-playoff-push\/\" target=\"_self\">Memphis Grizzlies<\/a> star<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moranja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Ja Morant<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JaMorant\/status\/1890964873976177113\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">posted on X:<\/a> &#8220;Mac might make me decide to dunk.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Morant also called on <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/antetgi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gordoaa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aaron Gordon<\/a>, and two-time dunk champion <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lavinza01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach LaVine<\/a>. Antetokounmpo immediately reacted and reponded to Morant in kind: \u201cIf you do it. I\u2019ll do it with you,\u201d <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6139406\/2025\/02\/15\/mac-mcclung-nba-dunk-contest-third-straight-win\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">per Joe Vardon of The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>3-Time NBA Slam Dunk Winner&#8217;s Dominance May Convince 3 Star Players to Return to Competition<\/h2>\n<p>McClung was once again dazzled on Saturday night at the Chase Center. He became the first player to win three straight <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/12\/former-slam-dunk-champion-hamidou-diallo-set-to-leave-nba-for-china\/\" target=\"_self\">NBA Slam Dunk<\/a> crowns and joined <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/robinna01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Robinson<\/a> as the only players to win three titles.<\/p>\n<p>McClung, who plays for the Osceola Magic, fended off <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/22\/san-antonio-spurs-be-sellers-trade-deadline\/\" target=\"_self\">San Antonio Spurs<\/a> rookie <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/castlst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephon Castle<\/a> in the event&#8217;s final. He matched Gordon as the only player to score a 50 on all four of his dunks. McClung defeated Castle by the slimmest of margins ( .4 points), as the UConn product scored 49.6 and a 50 on his two dunks in the finals. It was the closest dunk contest since <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jonesde02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick Jones Jr.<\/a> upset Gordon in a two-dunk playoff in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s definitely not for me to say,\u201d McClung said in response to whether he was the greatest dunker. \u201cThe biggest thing is, I genuinely love this contest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Every Mac McClung Dunk in His 3rd Straight Dunk Contest Win | 2025 NBA All-Star\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2tSCE2aTNPk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Will Ja Morant Be Among the 2026 NBA Dunk Contest Participants?<\/h3>\n<p>So, who will be in the 2026 NBA Dunk Contest at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles? Well, who knows right now, as the participants aren&#8217;t usually announced until the days before the event, which will be February 13-15 next year.<\/p>\n<p>Boston&#8217;s <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.bing.com\/search?qs=AS&amp;pq=Jaylen+Brown+bas&amp;sk=CSYN1&amp;sc=12-16&amp;q=jaylen+brown+basketball+reference&amp;cvid=3d70a69461584fd1a6be817a9ca4c295&amp;gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgcIABAAGPkHMgcIABAAGPkHMgYIARBFGDkyBggCEAAYQDIGCAMQABhAMgYIBBAAGEAyBggFEAAYQDIGCAYQABhAMgYIBxAAGEAyBggIEAAYQNIBCDUwNzRqMGo0qAIIsAIB&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaylen Brown<\/a>, who lost in the 2024 finals to McClung, is the biggest name to participate in the last two years and probably since Gordon last participated. So, it would be something if Morant and Antetokounmpo are in the event next season. If those two participate next year, it would automatically make the event the most anticipated contest since 2020, when <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/howardw01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dwight Howard<\/a> and<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/connapa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Pat Connaughton<\/a> also entered.<\/p>\n<p>Morant is a high-flyer, though he has never participated in the dunk contest. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo finished dead last with a score of 65, the only time he entered the event in 2015. That was the same year LaVine won the first of two straight titles.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-Y8WK0Bfs1w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For his part, LaVine said he may also have to consider taking part earlier this afternoon: &#8220;<a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZachLaVine\/status\/1891206088038502645\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thinking I might have too again<\/a>\u2026.&#8221; The newly minted<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/07\/sacramento-kings-waive-former-summer-league-standout-orlando-robinson\/\" target=\"_self\"> Sacramento Kings<\/a> guard has scored perfectly on seven of his 10 career dunks in two contests. He recorded five scores of 50 in the 2016 event when he defeated Gordon in the bonus round.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordons AWESOME 2016 Slam Dunk Duel\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L3qJFjlDvKY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m flattered. I think those guys are so fun to watch,\u201d McClung responded when asked about being potentially responsible for getting more stars back in the event. \u201cI think people want to see bigger stars in it, and I would love to see that. But I think it\u2019s important for the people in it to want to do it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The bigger question is, will McClung defend his title yet again?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was probably thinking about hanging it up after this one, &#8221; McClung added, &#8220;but I never want to say never.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Photo Courtesy:\u00a9 Petre Thomas Imagine Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>G-League star Mac McClung&#8217;s three-peat as slam dunk champion at the NBA All-Star weekend on Saturday may actually bring back stars to competition. But even before McClung joined the rarified air as the Association&#8217;s best dunker, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant posted on X: &#8220;Mac might make me decide to dunk.&#8221; Morant also called on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3146,"featured_media":124136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,2,32,62,29],"tags":[472,306,1822,2480,639,457],"class_list":["post-124095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-featured","category-grizzlies","category-nba","category-kings","tag-aaron-gordon","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-ja-morant","tag-mac-mcclung","tag-nba-all-star","tag-zach-lavine"],"modified_by":"Daniel Benjamin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124095"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124137,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124095\/revisions\/124137"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}