Is Mac McClung the contest GOAT? Plus, Mavs fan check-in and sports shows to watch in February
Good morning! Dunk (carefully) over something today.
Midseason festivities deliver
We can probably all agree the NBA dunk contest lineup, on paper, did not excite. But we might owe Mac McClung an apology. He did this last night:
MUST-SEE Slow-mo replays of Mac McClung's dunk OVER A CAR ‼️#ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/tWk1MhYM80
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2025
The 26-year-old Magic G-Leaguer scored a perfect 200 across his four dunks to win his third straight title. Earlier in the night, the Cavs' Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley won the skills challenge, and Tyler Herro won the 3-point contest.
Elsewhere, in the NHL's midseason event: The United States advanced to the 4 Nations Face-Off final, set for Thursday, with a 3-1 win over Canada — but American star Matthew Tkachuk was injured. (Also: There were three fights in the first nine seconds. 🌶️)
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Two weeks have passed since the Dallas Mavericks pushed the nuclear button on that Luka Dončić-for-Anthony Davis trade. How's it been playing in North Texas? Let's check in:
Even further indignity arrived at midweek: The Athletic's John Hollinger ranked all 30 teams' trade deadline performance and put the Lakers first and Mavericks dead last. 'If you start with, 'Does this have the chance to be one of the worst trades in NBA history?' it's pretty easy to end up at, 'Yes,'' Hollinger writes.
I asked The Bounce's Zach Harper if Mavs fans vs. Mavs management is the most toxic dynamic he's ever seen between a fan base and front office:
💬 A couple examples come to mind, with Knicks fans often angry with James Dolan for a long time, and 76ers fans revolted against the Colangelos when they stepped in for Sam Hinkie as the Trust The Process era was being dismantled. Those were tenuous relationships between a fan base and upper management specifically. I do not remember seeing this much extended vitriol toward a front office like we're seeing with the Mavs fans. The 'fire Nico Harrison' moments in the arena will not go away, and the team has to decide how sensitive it'll be. Fans held a funeral for the team! They're protesting outside the arena! This is an 11 out of 10 on just about every level.
This mess could take years to unwind.
Formula 1's American TV deal with ESPN expires at the end of this year. The coming dance between F1 owner Liberty Media and potential TV partners is a bit more compelling than your typical sports TV negotiation. Luke Smith's deep dive into the state of play explains why: F1's Netflix-aided boom in the United States has given the series a durable lift in live viewership, but the numbers have plateaued of late after huge jumps in 2021 and '22.
That leaves a tough calculation for Liberty:
As one analyst tells Smith: 'If the rights holder gets good money, (I'm) not so sure that it's really interested in the viewing (figures), you know?' We'll see. Netflix's interest seems serious and makes obvious sense, given how well 'Drive to Survive' worked for all parties.
The NFL season may be over, but sports never die! With the Super Bowl behind us, here's Hannah Vanbiber with a check-in on sports shows to watch for the rest of the month. We'll keep you updated throughout the year!
Current and upcoming shows I'm most excited about, ranked:
Sequel seasons coming soon:
We are fully embarking on the NFL offseason. Here's the biggest offseason need for all 32 teams.
Wilt Chamberlain spent a year with the Harlem Globetrotters. It was, in a word, magical.
Brody Miller is in La Jolla, Calif., this weekend for the Genesis Invitational. He had one question: Is Torrey Pines, a legendary course, good?
Most-clicked in Friday's newsletter: The available QB options for the Jets, and all others.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our live blog covering the U.S. win over Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
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