G League player Mac McClung wins slam dunk contest at NBA All-Star Saturday Night
Mac McClung put on a show in winning the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest.Â
But who is Mac McClung? There’s a reason you may be unfamiliar with the 24-year-old if you only follow the NBA: He hasn’t played a game in the NBA this season.Â
In fact, McClung has only appeared in two NBA games in his career, with the Chicago Bulls in December 2021 and Los Angeles Lakers in April 2022. McClung has spent this season in the Philadelphia 76ers’ organization, playing for the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats.Â
“I’m super grateful for this opportunity,” McClung said afterwards. “I think a lot of guys in the G League probably deserve this light that I just got. I’m very appreciative and I hope I represented well for them, and I really appreciate the NBA giving us this opportunity.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA’s new slam dunk champ:Â
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Who is Mac McClung?
“It kind of feels ever since the beginning I was the underdog, even when I was younger,” McClung said after the dunk contest.Â
McClung has been known as a prolific dunker since his standout career at Gate City High School (Virginia). During his time at Gate City, he toppled state scoring records held by the likes of Allen Iverson and JJ Redick and won the 2018 BallisLife All-America Game Slam Dunk Contest.Â
McClung attended Georgetown University for two seasons, where he averaged 14.2 points per game, before transferring to Texas Tech. He averaged 15.5 points per game in his lone season with the Red Raiders in 2020-21. He eventually declared for the NBA draft, though he went undrafted. He split 2021-22 bouncing between the Lakers and Bulls organizations, but was still named G League Rookie of the Year after averaging . 21.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. McClung has averaged 19.1 points in 18 games in the G League this year.Â
“I’m not really worried what other people think, good or bad. I’m just staying the course. My goal is to make an impact in the NBA, and I’m just going to keep working until that happens,” McClung said.Â
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Here’s how he won the Dunk Contest on Saturday night:Â
First round
The Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III got the action started and got teammate Jose Alvarado involved on his first dunk – Alvarado “stealing” the ball and throwing an alley-oop pass off the backboard to Murphy for a 360 dunk. Murphy placed third with his dunk.Â