Mac McClung won’t be chasing history at All-Star Weekend next month.
McClung, the three-time defending NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, is not expected to participate in the 2026 event, according to his father, Marcus McClung, who relayed the decision to ESPN on Monday. In a text message shared by ESPN, Marcus McClung said it “won’t be 4 in a row,” adding there wasn’t one single deciding factor so much as “a bunch of reasons” that ultimately pointed toward sitting this one out.
The absence ends one of the contest’s rare modern-day runs of continuity. McClung captured the dunk crown three straight times, 2023, 2024 and 2025, becoming the first player to win the competition in three consecutive years. His 2025 performance, staged during All-Star Saturday in San Francisco, again leaned into the showmanship that has helped stabilize a contest that has often struggled to consistently land star power in recent years.
All-Star Saturday, which includes the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, at Intuit Dome in the Los Angeles area as part of NBA All-Star 2026 (Feb. 13–15). The league has not yet publicly announced the full dunk contest field, but McClung’s decision ensures there will be a new champion for the first time since 2022… and a new headliner tasked with lifting the night’s signature event.
