Getty Images Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors were called out for “fumbling” the situation with Mac McClung in light of his dunk contest victory during All-Star Weekend.
McClung had a short stint with the Warriors during the preseason, playing in Summer League with Golden State and later signing an Exhibit 9 contract. He played just two preseason games before being cut loose.
The criticism aimed at the defending champs comes from rapper Riff Raff, who is the cousin of McClung and a vocal supporter of the NBA’s dunk contest savior.
“He’s been on the Warriors, they fumbled. He’s been on the Lakers with some of his favorite players and he’s playing with them and they fumbled that and now he’s over there in Philly,” Riff Raff told TMZ Sports. “He’s the new Ivory Iverson!”
He took it a step further, saying McClung should be a starter.
“Any NBA team owner would be foolish to not wanna fill the stands and get that hype around their team,” the rapper said. “To me, and to anybody who actually watches him play, he’s a starter.”
McClung Says Lack of NBA Interest ‘Hurts’
While he’s yet to earn a consistent roster spot in the NBA, McClung has been working hard in the G League. He won the G League Rookie of the Year with the South Bay Lakers last season, averaging 21.7 points, 7.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27 regular-season games.
“I just try to focus on the things I can control,” McClung said. “But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t tough on me, especially with the Lakers. I was rookie of the year over there, we were winning, and I was just waiting for a turn that never came. Honestly, it hurts when you feel like you’re doing everything right but your dreams don’t get any closer.”
The Warriors liked McClung during his stay with the team but didn’t feel like he was what they needed at the time. Instead, the team signed Ty Jerome, who has found his way into the Golden State rotation this season. Head coach Steve Kerr said it wasn’t an easy decision.
“I think we were interested in a more pass-first point guard,” Kerr said after McClung was released in October. “Letting Mac go was tough. I love Mac, and I think he’s an NBA player. But I think for our roster, we needed more of a pass-first guy, and Ty is a very intriguing player because of his size, and his ability to see over the top of the defense, his pick and roll play. So it’s a great opportunity for us to get a look at him, and for him to play with our guys.”
Warriors Come Up Flat Out of All-Star Break
The Warriors have larger issues than worrying about the opinions of a rapper on a former player. Golden State needs to start stringing together wins to stay in the mix in the ultra-competitive Western Conference but came out of the All-Star break with a dud against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, losing 124-111.
“We were fouling, had some disjointed offensive possessions, some turnovers and some difficult shots that were basically shot/turnovers,” Kerr said. “There were several key stretches where we had a chance to get back in the game but couldn’t put it together.”
The Warriors are awaiting the return of former MVP Stephen Curry, who is out with a leg injury. Golden State has dropped four of six with Curry out of the lineup and his exact timeline for a return is still uncertain.