Mac McClung has made his mark on the NBA's All-Star Saturday night spectacle as the first player to win the Slam Dunk Contest in three consecutive years. His dunk contest dominance has brought some of the NBA's stars to consider challenging the slam dunk crown, even if they may not be too serious about putting their name in the ring for future contests.
McClung's impressive dunks have incited conversation on where he ranks amongst legendary dunk contest performances. Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon and new Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine competed in one of the most memorable dunk contests in 2016. Both dunkers traded unbelievable slams before LaVine was eventually crowned champion after a between-the-legs dunk where he jumped from the free-throw line.
Even though he was runner-up, Gordon put down some of the best slams in dunk contest history, including one where he cleared two legs over the Orlando Magic mascot's head and finished with a tomahawk jam.
To further jog your memory, here is each dunk Gordon and LaVine exchanged during the 2016 show:
Zach LaVine & Aaron Gordon in 2016... battle for the ages.
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2025
💥 Free throw line slams
💥 Mascots on hoverboards
💥 Multiple tiebreakers
2025 #ATTSlamDunk: Tonight, 8pm/et, TNT pic.twitter.com/vfsOjQSn2J
Vince Carter, one of the best dunkers of all-time, had debatably the most memorable performance from his dunk contest win in 2000. After a between-the-legs dunk, Carter made his famous "it's over" motion, cementing the moment firmly in NBA history.
“IT’S OVER!”
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) February 12, 2019
19 years ago today, Vince Carter showed us why we call him half-man, half-amazing pic.twitter.com/kRyAn56byf
In an appearance on FanDuel TV's Run It Back show, Michelle Beadle asked Gordon where he'd rank the 2016 dunk contest in the event's history. Unsurprisingly, Gordon puts the 2016 event at the top. Specifically, he thinks his dunk contest performance clears Carter's effort.
"Personally, I think that was the best one," Gordon said of his 2016 dunk contest back-and-forth showdown with Zach LaVine. "I think there is a bit of nostalgia that plays into that 2000 dunk contest. Respectfully, like Vince Carter is the GOAT, you know what I mean. But I think if you put my four dunks up against Vince Carter's four dunks, objectively I think my four dunks were better. "
Aaron Gordon says his 2016 dunks were better than Vince Carter's in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest 👀
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 19, 2025
"If you put my 4 dunks up against Vince Carter's 4 dunks, objectively I think my 4 dunks were better."@Double0AG | @MichelleDBeadle pic.twitter.com/WOjRN1a6ZN
After McClung's win Saturday, Gordon joked that he still has some hops, hinting at a return to the dunk contest which probably won't come to fruition as NBA stars abandoned the event long ago.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Gordon Believes His NBA Dunk Contest Performance Clears Vince Carter's Effort.
