(CNN) Five days ago, Mac McClung was still new to an NBA roster after playing for the Philadelphia 76ers’ G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, this season.
On Saturday night, he became the focus of the basketball world when he was crowned the NBA slam dunk champion in Salt Lake City, hitting perfect 50s for three of his four dunks and capping a week of co-signing to a two-way contract the sixers.
“The audience was really incredible tonight,” McClung told CNN’s Andy Scholes afterwards. “It’s been a blessing. It’s really cool, man. I mean, one day I’m going to tell my kids and be able to brag about it. But yeah, the goal is to play in the NBA. I’m going to keep working every day. I I’m very hungry and resilient so I’ll keep working.”
For his first dunk, McClung vaulted over a friend who was sitting on another friend’s shoulders, grabbed the ball from his hand, tapped the board and finished with a short reverse slam, a perfect 50 from the judges.
The second was a two-handed dunk with 360 pirouettes, and he reached the finals alongside Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans.
He pulled out all the tricks and secured another perfect 50 by vaulting over another person and doving them into the net before sealing the win with a 540 dunk and completing a spin and a half in the air.
Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after winning the slam dunk contest.
Such incredible dunks by the 6ft 2in guard drew the admiration of NBA legends as he became the smallest player to have three perfect scores since 1986, according to ESPN.
“One was a HOH High School viral dunk phenomenon and still working his way up the league, but let me quickly grab this dunk contest trophy and bring it back to life!!! Unreal,” Steph Curry tweeted.
“He saved the dunk contest”, Shaquille O’Neal called.
The 24-year-old became the first 76er to win the NBA’s slam dunk competition and his new team was also stunned by his performance
“They all asked, ‘Who is Mac McClung?’ NOW YOU KNOW,” the 76ers tweeted.
Meanwhile, Portland Trailblazers guard Damian Lillard won the three-point contest while donning the jersey of his alma mater – Weber State University. Hometown Utah Jazz trio Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton won the Skills Challenge.