Dunk contest slammed by fans as absent three-time champion Mac McClung shows what NBA missed: ‘Absolute trash’

NBA fans have been left underwhelmed by this year’s Slam Dunk Contest, with some taking aim at a ‘trash’ All-Star Weekend.

What is usually one of the highlights of the break, the once-explosive competition came and went on Saturday night, and failed to make waves.

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The 2026 contest was short on name recognition, with Keshad Johnson, Jaxson Hayes, Jase Richardson and Carter Bryant throwing down.

In the end it was Johnson, who entered the league undrafted in 2024 before he worked his way from a two-way deal to a standard contract with the Miami Heat, who dunked to victory over San Antonio Spurs rookie Bryant.

The conclusion to the contest, though, was rather disappointing.

Bryant looked in control when he scored a perfect 50 — the only one of the contest — by tossing the ball high, then bringing it between his legs successfully on his first attempt.

But he failed to follow up strong, and when he needed a score of 47.6 to win after Johnson’s comeback, the Spurs rookie almost failed to make a dunk in the 90-second time period.

He repeatedly missed a dunk where he attempted to put the ball between his legs, before throwing an off-the-backboard lob.

The 20-year-old also bizarrely wasted some time talking to NBC analyst Vince Carter before missing again, and then rushed a final, underwhelming dunk to avoid being shutout with a score of 43.0.

NBA fans hit out at ‘trash’ Slam Dunk Contest

His struggles allowed Johnson to take the trophy home — and have his 15 minutes of fame — but many fans were left disappointed with how the contest unfolded.

Some took issue with a particular effort from Richardson, whose own dreams of winning the competition ended in a painful wipe-out that left him laying flat on the court.

“The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has become so trash players are damn near killing themselves to complete simple dunks,” one fan said of the effort.

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“I’ve been crying laughing for the past hour,” another claimed.

“Bro needs to change his last name to Smith or something… definitely not a Richardson,” a third said, referencing the fact that his father, Jason Richardson, was a two-time Slam Dunk champion himself in 2002 and 2003.

Other fans, meanwhile, took issue with the contest — and the current All-Star Weekend — as a whole.

“The NBA product top to bottom is absolute trash now. Remember when the slam dunk contest was must see TV?” one said.

“Unwatchable. It’s such a shame. It was so electric in the 90s/00s. The All-Star Game sucks. The Slam Dunk Contest sucks. There are egos everywhere. It’s plagued by a disrespectful culture… The list goes on. Massively over-hyped,” another claimed.

“Worst Slam Dunk Contest in several years. No props. No originality. No personality. Just lame…” a third concluded.

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Mac McClung shows fans what NBA Dunk Contest was missing

Part of the reason the dunk contest was described by some as ‘unwatchable’ probably came down to the fact that Mac McClung was not involved this year.

The three-time champion (2023-25) is currently under a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls and Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League.

Despite dominating in recent years, McClung revealed that he would not be making a trip to the Intuit Dome in 2026, hinting that he had heard other players might not have wanted to compete if he was part of the field.

“Originally, I told everybody I was done. I retired after the third year, and they’re good friends of mine. We’re in contact a lot, and they were talking about this next year, and I was pretty much saying: ‘I’m not going to do it,'” he told HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo.

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“But I prepared anyway, just in case maybe I would.

“I think there was just back and forth of us being like this, and then they were calling me, being like ‘People didn’t want to do it if I was doing it’, and I thought it’s best if I just sit out this year and let it be, no matter what.”

Despite sitting out, McClung took to social media soon after the contest to share the four dunks he would have attempted this year.

His video sparked excitement, as well as questions about what could have been if he had competed.

How can the NBA fix All-Star Weekend?

Clearly, this year’s All-Star Weekend has been missing much of what had made it so special in years gone by — star power.

The All-Star Game was once a must-watch contest, with The Association’s biggest names sharing the court at the same time.

But many viewers are now of the belief that the weekend is nothing more than a glorified shoot-around, with a few inconsequential contests and serious lack of excitement.

The NBA, then, could learn a thing or two from the women’s game, and the Unrivaled competition that is currently unfolding.

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WNBA star Paige Bueckers stormed off the court during her 1-on-1 battle with Chelsea Gray this weekend, and will not have the chance to win the $200,000 prize offered to the tournament’s winner.

Her reaction to the 11-2 defeat said it all — that competition mattered to her.

The NBA, perhaps, could recapture some All-Star excitement by offering much bigger prizes to those competing over the weekend.

Throw in multi-million dollar prize pots, and the big names would surely be queuing around the block to sign up.