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NBA Slam Dunk Contest participants set, with Mac McClung rounding out four-man field

McClung will aim for a slam dunk contest three-peat against Stephon Castle, Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr.

kari anderson
Contributing writer
·2-min read
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 17: Mac McClung #0 of the Osceola Magic participates in the 2024 AT&T Slam Dunk contest during the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Mac McClung became the fifth person to win back-to-back slam dunk contests after winning the event in 2024. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The field for the NBA slam dunk contest is set, with Mac McClung reportedly joining as the fourth and final participant, per ESPN's Sham Charania. McClung will attempt to win the contest for the third straight year, becoming the first player to hit a three-peat in the event.

Along with McClung, the rest of the field includes San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr., a second-year guard with the Milwaukee Bucks.

As complaints that the dunk contest has degraded over the years continue to grow, McClung has risen as an unlikely household name with the competition. McClung, who signed a two-way contract with the Orlando Magic in October, emerged from near obscurity two years ago when he won the 2023 dunk contest.

McClung then went on to win again in 2024, capping off his run by dunking over Shaquille O'Neal and earning perfect 50s across the board.

McClung became just the fifth person to win back-to-back dunk contests, joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson and Zach LaVine.

The other three contestants in the event this year will be competing in their first All-Star weekend. Castle and Buzelis are rookies, both first-round draft picks out of UConn and the G League, respectively. Jackson was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft, also out of UConn.

The competition will once again fail to feature any of the league's big names, which has been a issue the league has dealt with for years. In 2024, Jaylen Brown became the first actual All-Star to join the competition since 2017, but fell to McClung amid some controversy about the scoring. Zion Williamson, notorious for his dunking ability, had said last March that he would join the dunk contest if he was voted in as an All-Star. (Given his vote totals, that appears unlikely.)

The dunk contest takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15, during the three-day All-Star weekend. The contest will the be the third event of the night, following the skills challenge and the 3-point challenge. Participants in those events are yet to be announced.