Mac McClung’s stunning performance in winning a record third-straight NBA Slam Dunk Contest caught the attention of Skip Bayless, who said the “little white guy” deserves credit for shattering stereotypes.
Bayless’ monologue on Tuesday’s The Skip Bayless Show definitely veered into dangerous territory, as he talked about McClung and other white athletes doing things he never thought possible, as he mentioned Caitlin Clark, Cooper DeJean, Cooper Flagg and Brock Bowers.
Any discussion of race in sports runs the risk of sparking controversy. Look no further than discussions about the role of Clark’s race in her WNBA rookie season. Recall the racially tinged debate about whether Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson deserved NFL MVP honors.
Bayless prefaced his praise for McClung and other white athletes by establishing his long-held beliefs about Black athletes.
“I don’t know any white commentator who’s been more outspoken about racial and social justice than I’ve been over the last 20-odd years,” Bayless said. “I have constantly pointed out that Black players in football and especially in basketball have consistently proven to be for the last 50-odd years, generally better than white players.
“Obviously, it hasn’t bothered me a bit that the NBA I have fanatically loved for about 50-odd years has been as high as about 80% Black players.”
That said, Bayless got to his point.
“Just as I’ve always acknowledged the dominance of the Black athlete, I think now it’s time to give some credit to some white athletes who are just shattering the mold,” Bayless said.
Bayless spent most of his time talking about McClung, whom he called “the greatest contest dunker ever.”
“[He] still isn’t getting nearly the respect he deserves, mostly because he is a little white guy, and supposedly can’t play basketball,” Bayless said, recalling how he “grew up hearing that ‘white men can’t jump.'”
McClung’s three-peat in the dunk contest inspired Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo to express interest in competing next year. Good luck there, Bayless said.
“Mac McClung can skywalk. He can power slam. He has Jordanesque hang time,” Bayless said. “Giannis, you’ve got no shot. Ja, you obviously can jump out of the gym … but so can this little white kid.”
Bayless went on to point out that Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, could become the NBA’s first “white American star” since Larry Bird.
That led Bayless to transition to Clark, “this 6-foot-tall white girl from Iowa,” and DeJean, one of the stars of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win.
“I just never thought I’d see the day that a Caitlin Clark would become the hottest thing in women’s pro basketball,” Bayless said. “For that matter, I never thought I’d see another Sunday that a white guy would start at cornerback in the National Football League, let alone star at cornerback.
“Cooper DeJean has big-time athletic ability. He has real quickness, real speed, real strength. … You wonder if Cooper DeJean was ever socialized by parents or coaches to believe, ‘White kids don’t ever play that position.'”
We’re suddenly seeing things from white athletes that, five years ago, I would’ve bet a lot of money against pic.twitter.com/26NVlf7H2o
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 18, 2025
Finally, Bayless concluded by praising Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
“We are suddenly seeing things from white athletes that five years ago, I would have bet a lot of money against,” Bayless said. “It just seems like the long-term greatness of Black athletes has forced some white athletes to just evolve. … I think this is great for sports.”
