White men that can jump

In the 1992 movie “White Men Can’t Jump”,  Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson star as streetball hustlers preying on streetballers.  Snipes’ movie character Sidney insists on Billy (Harrelson) that ‘white men can’t jump’.  In the end, playing against LA’s streetball legends, Billy caught a lob from Sidney and dunked the ball to win a tight game.

Both actors play good ball but Harrelson can’t dunk on a regulation 10-foot goal so it was lowered to six inches in the movie.  Yes, the white man did jump and dunked.

In its early stages, the NBA Slam Dunk contest was once a collection of high-flying stars with the likes Julius Erving, Larry Nance, Sr., David Thompson and George Gervin.  Then came the multiple battles between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.  Later, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter participated and won the contest.  The NBA’s reigning diva LeBron James, with all his powerful dunks, had never participated in the event.

And speaking about Bron, he’s still in peak performance at 38-years old.  Me when I was 38?  Diabetes migrated into my system, arthritis sometimes make house calls and my lower back needs Salonpas after doing house chores.

Now, the dunk contest had become a stage for young unknowns wanting recognition.  For the past few years, the mid-season All-Star weekend had been tepid to say the least, specially the supposed All-Star game which had become a farce and had robbed paying fans their money’s worth.

The 2023 Slam Dunk contest at least brought some life back to the event when Matthew “Mac” McClung, a 6’2” guard scored three 50s in four dunk attempts enroute to becoming only the second white player to win the competition.  He made every dunk on the first try.  According to the NBA, the first 12 hours following the competiton, it generated 520 million views, “the most ever for an All-Star Saturday night”, it said.

Undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, McClung toiled with the G-League teams of the LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Golden State before landing a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and its G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats prior to the All-Star break. 

It has been a productive week for him as he signed a shoe deal with Puma.  McClung went home with $100,000 for winning the Slam Dunk contest.

It was in 1996 when LA Clipper rookie Brent Barry became the first white guy to be crowned as Slam Dunk champion.  For his winning dunk, he took off from the free throw line in his warm-up jacket and sailed to the goal, slamming the ball one-handed.

Current NBA white dunkers are the likes of Luca Doncic (DAL), Pat Connaughton (MIL), Alex Caruso (CHI), Austin Reaves (LAL), Donte DiVincenzo (GSW), Tyler Herro (MIA), TJ McConnell (INA) and Corey Kispert (WAS). 

Zach LaVine and Blake Griffin have Afro-American fathers and Caucasian mothers so they can be considered as white high flyers.

All-time NBA best white dunkers are Tom Chambers, Dan Majerle, Rex Chapman, Chris Andersen, Bob Sura and Europeans Manu Ginobili and Rudy Fernandez.

Yes, some white men can do jump.