Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill spoke with the 2-time defending champion of the competition to discuss what he has planned for Saturday night, how he’s dealt with the fame that comes with winning the event and what becoming the first 3-peat champ would mean to him. Mac joined Yahoo Sports on behalf of AT&T and its XR Dunk Court at NBA Crossover.
Video Transcript
At&t slam dunk competition is upon us or the Mac McClung invitational.
How you doing, Mac?
I’m good, man.
I appreciate you saying that.
You’re going for 3 in a row after the 1st 2.
The question always is what more can you do?
What, what more is next?
Do you have some creative stuff?
Like what’s the pressure going into Saturday night?
Yeah, there’s, I feel like, uh, for some reason the more I do it I don’t feel more comfortable each time, but no, I think, uh, I’m really excited about this year.
There’s more props than I’ve ever used.
It’s the most challenging set, but I’ve worked extremely hard on it.
I hope it I hope it goes well.
So you’re not one of those people, you’re not just going out.
Have a plan once you go up in the air.
You have plans already, months and months of planning, months and months of planning.
OK, can you give us a clue on any of these props, some type of hint?
I can’t.
It’s too obvious.
I can’t.
You just have to tune in Saturday night.
OK. All right, now I ask you this.
You were born in what ’99, right?
The last time All-Star was here was 2000.
You clearly weren’t able to see it, but I’m sure you know about Vince Carter and what he did here.
What does that feel to be part of the lineage of the AT&T slam dunk competition?
Like your name is etched in history.
It’s really surreal.
I, I try to feel like an imposter a lot of times, but it’s just, um, it’s an incredible thing.
I’m grateful to be a part of and it’s, it’s such a cool thing.
What is all this like?
You, you’re at the crossover event.
People are shaking your hand, people know who you are.
You are famous, right?
What is it like dealing with just.
Fame even though you’re a hooper and before a dunker, but people know who you are, they don’t prepare you for that.
What is that like for you as a human just being able to deal with this?
It’s a funny thing, man.
I, I think as people like it’s, it’s really weird to ever think that you’re deserving of people to be fans of you.
I think it’s weird when someone acts extremely excited to see me and I’m like, wow, I’m like that you the way you feel about me, man, that just like.
It’s something I don’t take for granted either.
I don’t feel, I feel like an impostor a lot of times, but, uh, I’m very grateful for everyone that cares about what I’m doing, and, and that means a lot to me.
Now the last person to win 3 was Nate Robinson, another small guy.
You’re trying to go for 3 in a row, which has never been done.
Is there a fascination you think with small guys dunking as opposed to the 67, the the giants of the game, so to speak?
I think everybody feels it.
It’s fun to watch a short guy dunk.
I mean, I’ve always felt that way, so, uh, I think it’s more fun.
Yeah.
What would it mean for you to win a third slam dunk contest with the odds against you, you having the creativity disadvantage basically because so many people have seen so many different things.
What would it mean for you to win?
Do you just drop the mic and walk off and never come back again?
Yeah, I mean, it’ll probably be it for me, uh, this year.
I think, uh, it’d be a cherry on top of a beautiful ride and.
Um, I don’t know, man.
It’d be special.
It’d be really special.
And even still, the journey continues.
You’re, you’re 2, 25, 26 just turned 26.
So the, your journey continues, right, even though now the journey continues to the league.
Absolutely.
Hey, congratulations, man.
Thank you, man.
I appreciate you.
