"Mac McClung, the three-time defending NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, will not participate in the event next month, his father, Marcus McClung, told ESPN on Monday. "Not going to be 4 in a row," Marcus McClung wrote in a text message. "Not one reason that I could say that was the main reason. In my opinion it is more like a bunch of reasons that just pointed to him not doing it." Mac McClung told a commercial-products interviewer over the weekend that he would not compete this year and added in an X post that he will release "the dunks we came up with after the contest.""
"As recently as last month, Mac McClung -- the only player to ever win the event three times in a row -- told ESPN he was "not sure" if he would compete in the 2026 contest. In that interview and others with ESPN, he questioned whether he had adequate new moves to dominate the contest and admitted that his profile as a dunker, rather than all-around basketball player, had concerned him in the past."
Mac McClung will not participate in next month’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest, ending his streak as the only three-time consecutive champion. His father, Marcus McClung, said a combination of reasons led to the decision. McClung confirmed he will not compete and said he will release the dunks his team developed after the contest. He expressed uncertainty about having enough new moves and has worried his reputation as a dunk specialist overshadowed his all-around game. McClung briefly joined the Indiana Pacers this season, was waived on Nov. 6, and currently plays for the Windy City Bulls, averaging 23.5 points in 11 G-League games; he has a G-League championship and an MVP award.
Read at ESPN.com
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