Unreal Dunk Moves You Never Knew Existed in 2K19 StepByStep Guide to Mastering Incredible Dunk Animations

1 of 6| Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after winning the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

2 of 6| Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the three-point contest of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

3 of 6| Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Highlight] Morant And Sharpe Trade Huge Dunks

4 of 6| Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after winning the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

5 of 6| Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

6 of 6| Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Trail Blazers Top 100: The Small College Superhero

Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after winning the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the three-point contest of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Has Anyone In The Nba Ever Dunked On Patrick Ewing?

Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after winning the slam dunk competition of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Long before he won the dunk contest at NBA All-Star Saturday, he was a YouTube phenomenon. It’s impossible to add up all the views that videos of McClung — everything from dunks to documentaries — had gotten, but it was in the hundreds of millions.

Yet it all seems different now, after this 6-foot-2 boyish-looking guard from a small town in Virginia with trampolines for legs and only two NBA games on his resume became the league’s dunk champion and finally brought buzz back to an event that had been more criticized than celebrated over the last few years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: How Bucks Star Became Nba's Mvp

Time will tell if they’re right. But an event that is designed to create unforgettable moments — Michael Jordan taking off from the foul line, Vince Carter saying “it’s over” after a dunk, Aaron Gordon jumping over the Orlando Magic mascot, Dwight Howard donning the Superman cape — got a massive shot in the arm from a guy who now has more dunks in the contest (four) than he does in actual NBA games (one).“It’s a cliche, but you can really do whatever you want to do, ” said McClung, who is on a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and playing in the G League. “I’ve had so many people even at the highest level ... if you are a young kid, and someone who is an inspiration to you, someone that you respect so much tells you that you can’t do it, it doesn’t matter. Literally, if you manifest and put your mind to it, you can literally make your life and reinvent yourself every day.”

“Tough, ” Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell shouted as he watched courtside, while several other All-Stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo — with his mouth open in disbelief — filmed the action on their phones.

Golden State’s Stephen Curry said on Twitter: “Man was a viral (House of Highlights) 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.”

A Complete History Of Dirk Nowitzki In Dallas, Told By Those Who Know Him Best

McClung knows he is an underdog story. He grew up playing football and baseball in Gate City, Virginia, before deciding sometime around sixth or seventh grade — standing barely 5 feet tall at that point — that basketball would be his priority.

He started going viral in high school for his array of dunks, and he has handled all the attention that comes with internet fame as well as he can for years.

“One thing with this game is you have to learn how to adapt, ” McClung told The Associated Press last year. “I want to be known as someone who can help a team, help a championship team, be a good energy guy and a good culture guy and a good locker room guy.”

Bleacher Report's Top 100 Player Rankings From The 2019 20 Nba Season

So if he was an unknown to NBA fans, that’s maybe understandable. He had the final basket of the 2021-22 NBA season, breaking free for an uncontested reverse dunk to cap the Los Angeles Lakers’ overtime win over the Denver Nuggets last April. That was his third, and most recent, field goal in the NBA.

But, even if he hasn’t gotten to establish himself at the NBA level yet, there’s no question that he can play. He broke records held by Allen Iverson and J.J. Redick in high school. He had big numbers at Texas Tech and Georgetown in college.

“I’m not really worried what other people think, good or bad, ” McClung said. “I’m just staying the course. My goal is to make an impact in the NBA, and I’m just going to keep working until that happens.”On Feb. 12,  2000,  in Oakland's Oracle Arena, the awkward, less-than-ferocious dinosaurs known as the Toronto Raptors bolted onto the basketball scene because of a dunk that shocked the world.

Nba: Bucks Select Seton Hall Forward, Greek Swingman In Nba Draft

Vince Carter's best dunk at the 2000 NBA all-star weekend helped change the perception of the Toronto Raptors franchise. (Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport)

The Toronto Raptors are heading back to the place where a franchise and a fan base came alive nearly two decades ago.

On Feb. 12,  2000, in Oakland's Oracle Arena, the awkward, less-than-ferocious dinosaurs bolted onto the basketball scene because of a dunk that shocked the world.

After 15 Years, Those Who Saw Vince Carter Leap Over Frederic Weis In Sydney Still Can't Believe What They Witnessed

That was the night on All-Star weekend when Vince Carter put the Toronto Raptors on the map with his series of jaw-dropping slam dunks that are still talked about.

And now the Raptors return to Oracle Arena with an opportunity to finally fulfil the destiny the 23-year-old Carter helped set in motion.

Game 3 of the NBA Finals goes Wednesday, with the best-of-seven series tied 1-1, and the Raptors looking to once again move the franchise toward a different stratosphere — winning their first NBA championship. This is the historic arena's last stand, the oldest barn still in use in the NBA. After this season, the Warriors will move into shiny new digs across the bay in San Francisco. 

Dunk Lessons, Broken Ankles, & Lots Of Threes: Nd's Win Over Miami

The Raptors have come a long way since arriving in the league 24 seasons ago. Those first few years in the cavernous SkyDome were a struggle to say the least. In their third year of existence, in 1997-98,  the team — and its fans — suffered through a season in which they managed just 16 wins.

There was the arrival of basketball sensation Tracy McGrady — at the time the youngest player in the NBA. And Butch Carter took over as coach. There was reason to believe Toronto might become competitive.

The real moment for the Toronto Raptors, though, was on the horizon. During the 1998 draft, the Raptors struck a last-minute deal with the Golden State Warriors to swap the fourth and fifth picks. Golden State got Antawn Jamison. Toronto got Carter.

The Oral History Of Vince Carter's Dunk Contest Win

Carter was coming to Canada from the University of North Carolina with plenty of hype, but most believed it was going to be his cousin, McGrady, who would own the spotlight while Carter acclimatized to the NBA.

That didn't last long. By his second full season, Carter was basking in the spotlight. He was everywhere — commercials, billboards and blasted all over the sports highlights. It all led to him garnering the most votes from fans leading into the 2000 All-Star Game.

For as much as Carter was doing to capture the hearts and minds of basketball fans across Toronto and Canada, he was also injecting life into the league itself with his flashy ways.

Lewis Dunk's Season Review

But Carter faced some difficult circumstances leading up to the dunk competition, including the stitches in his left hand after suffering an injury in the weight room.

And then there was Butch Carter's rule banning dunks during Raptors' practices. Any player violating the rule would have to pay a $500 fine or deal with veterans Charles Oakley, Kevin Willis or Antonio Davis.

So with the eyes of the world watching and the great expectations placed upon him, Carter had to make things up as he went.

Klay Thompson Sets Nba Record For Points In Under 30 Minutes

For his first dunk, Carter executed a reverse 360-degree slam that brought the crowd to its feet and instantly caught the attention of every other player watching from the sidelines. Superstar Shaquille O'Neal was capturing it all with a bulky camcorder, his eyes bulging and mouth gaping.

Vince Carter's famous dunks: Winging It4 years ago Duration 1:07 In his first dunk of the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Raptors' Vince Carter brings the crowd to their feet with a 360 Reverse Windmill.

Carter was awarded a maximum

Why Don't Nba Stars Want To Do The Dunk Contest Anymore?