After jumping over a Kia, leaping over Cavaliers 6-foot-11 forward Evan Mobley (while tapping the rim), and jamming two basketballs after catching one from a friend rotating on a hoverboard, Mac McClung made history on Saturday night, becoming the first player to win the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in three consecutive seasons. It also tied him with Nate Robinson for the most amount of dunk contest titles.
The win secured him $105,000, giving McClung $310,000 in total dunk contest winnings. The amount eclipses his guaranteed career NBA earnings of $132,101, according to Spotrac.
That sum, however, does not account for two-way contracts like the one MacClung is currently on with the Magic. He’s signed two previous deals with the Lakers and Sixers, but never made it through the full season on one.
A two-way contract pays half of a rookie minimum salary—$578,577 for this season. Two-way contracts allow a player to spend a maximum of 45 days with the NBA team the player is signed to and the rest of the season with its respective G League affiliate.
McClung was on a two-way deal with the Lakers and Sixers for roughly three months each, which puts his earnings close to his dunk contest winnings. However, if McClung can finish the season with the Magic on his current two-way deal, his NBA earnings will eclipse his dunk contest winnings for the first time in his career.
He has played just five minutes this season with the Orlando Magic and has spent most of his time with the team’s G-League affiliate in Osceola.
Despite his tantalizing dunks, McClung, 26, has played in just five career NBA games over three seasons. His 6-foot-2 frame adds to the lore of his high-flying dunks, but he is not a natural point guard and is too small to play on the wing, which is why he’s spent so little time in the NBA, despite his athleticism and 2024 G League MVP award.
