Every year the NBA has an entire weekend of All-Star events, beginning on Friday and continuing through Sunday. But to be fair, what everyone wants to see are the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest highlights, seeing what the league’s high-flying athletes came up with this year.
As usual, there was no shortage of sensational slam dunks on NBA All-Star Saturday. Down below, we’ve captured all of the highlights from the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest, giving fans a one-stop shop for the most memorable moments of this year’s competition.
Who are this year’s NBA Dunk Contest participants?
- Trey Murphy, New Orleans Pelicans – 6-foot-9
- Jericho Sims, New York Knicks – 6-foot-10
- Mac McClung, Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware Blue Coates in G-League) – 6-foot-2
- Kenyon Martin Jr., Houston Rockets – 6-foot-6
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Trey Murphy gets the party started
Here was Murphy’s second dunk of the day, which featured a classic windmill slam.
Murphy goes between the legs for his second-to-last dunk of the night.
Last but not least, Murphy closed out his night with a well-timed ferocious slam.
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Jericho Sims gets elbow-deep
While Sims felt his second dunk merited a 50 grade, the NBA Dunk Contest panel didn’t quite agree.
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KJ Martin nearly hits his head
On Martin’s second dunk attempt of the night, we saw him incorporate his father, Kenyon Martin, into the process while using a custom Wilson basketball.
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Mac McClung, the little man that can, wins Dunk Contest
The first player to get a perfect score of 50 from the Dunk Contest judges, McClung arrived out of the G-League and stole the show. We haven’t seen this one before.
As if his first dunk wasn’t enough evidence, this kid has some serious hops. Here’s his second dunk of the night.
Yet, it was his third dunk that brought in another perfect score, his second 50 of the night.
Final dunk of the night leaves NBA world speechless
With that, McClung is your 2023 NBA Dunk Contest Champion. Participating in his first event, McClung took home the trophy, and he didn’t rule out returning in 2024 to defend his crown. We certainly hope to see the rising star come back again next year.
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This year’s 2023 NBA Dunk Contest Champion will win the Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving Award. It is the first year of the Dr. J Trophy, but who better to name the award for the NBA’s best dunker after than Erving?