McClung has LaVine-Like Night, DeRozan Celebrates with Fam, and Other Bulls Bullets
Turning 60 this week isn’t the only thing Michael Jordan and my father have in common, they both also happen to be GOATs.
Happy birthday, dad!
- Zach LaVine would be proud. While I didn’t get to sit down and take in the dunk contest live, my jaw dropped all the same as I later watched the highlights of Mac McClung’s dunk contest victory. For an event that has become painfully dry in recent years – both in terms of big-name participants and “oh my god” moments – McClung felt like a saving grace. While it wasn’t as competitive as the great LaVine vs. Gordon – which is right up there with Jordan vs. Wilkins for the best ever – McClung undoubtedly gave us arguably one of the best individual performances we’ve seen since 2016.
- In case you missed it, I’ll drop his four dunks below and link to the full contest here.
- I’m not sure if it will be the popular opinion, but my favorite of the four dunks was easily the double pump reserve. I’m just not sure people fully understand how much hang time is needed for someone to be able to move the rock in that way and slam it. Let me also remind you that McClung is just six-foot-two on a good day. The fact that he can get that much elevation is mind-bending.
- McClung’s contest reminded me a lot of Zach LaVine. Both have this natural fluidity that makes everything look so darn simple. Not to mention, I love the way both approached their respective dunk contests. They knew that their elite athleticism was the spectacle. Neither needed flash props or silly gimmicks – which has kind of aided the downfall of the contest in recent years – to make us mean-mug after every jam. Oh, and hitting the dunks on the first try is a key element to a legendary dunk contest! Anyway, props to McClung! BULLS LEGEND!
- Shoutout to Chuck Swirsky for pointing out a pretty wild fact: McClung joins a list of five other former Bulls who have won the dunk contest. Yes, I know McClung literally appeared in just one actual game for Chicago … but we’re still claiming him!!
- Also, we might as well give DeMar DeRozan some love for his dunk contest appearance. While he fell to Nate “The Dunking Great” Robinson, he put up a valiant effort as the runner-up during the 2010 event. I re-watched the highlights this morning, and it’s definitely a performance that holds up.
- Tomer Azarly of Clutchpoints asked DeRozan which team wanted him to take a lowball offer in free agency two summers ago. DeRozan simply told him to go look at the box scores.
- This isn’t the first time DeRozan has mentioned seeking vengeance against those teams that wanted him to take the veteran minimum (yes, that was a thing). When appearing on J.J. Redick’s The Old Man & the Three podcast, DeRozan said he “made it a personal vendetta” to make a handful of teams look silly, hinting that his point totals throughout the season would make it obvious which teams made him an unserious offer. With that being the case, I went through his box scores last September to try to deduct which organizations he hated the most. If you have any interest in that old read, here ya go:
- DeRozan went through All-Star practice and media day with his family by his side. The Bulls put out a cute video that shows him spending quality time and taking the press conference podium with his kiddos.
- I’m not sure what this means during the wee hours of the morning, but DeMar is right! Hope he’s good, and I hope he’s excited about the big game.
- It’s crazy that he did this and lost!
- But … why?
- Do what the Bulls didn’t do and make a darn trade.
- Tank better, please.
