Getty Mac McClung #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives to the basket during the first half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Assembly Hall on March 19, 2021 in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be well-represented at NBA All-Star Weekend. Joel Embiid and James Harden are each in the top four for fan voting in the Eastern Conference at their positions and are on the path to another appearance. Georges Niang also is making his public case for why he deserves to be in the three-point contest. There also will be a surprising member of the organization representing the Sixers as Delaware Blue Coats’ standout Mac McClung will be competing in the dunk contest- making him the first-ever member of the G League to compete in the event.
Mac McClung has accepted an invitation to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He will be the first G League player to compete in the dunk contest. Last night he showed his versatility scoring 28 PTS (10-13 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-5 FT), 7 AST, four REB and two STL in 28 MIN in a win
McClung’s Dunking Ability
While he has not had much of a chance to put it on display at the NBA level, McClung is no stranger to dunking the basketball. The 6’2″ guard has been producing highlight-reel dunks since he was in high school and this ability helped to put him on the basketball map.
Mac McClung has accepted an invite to be in the NBA SLAM DUNK CONTEST 🔥
(per @ShamsCharania)
The 24-year-old has seen limited NBA opportunity playing a total of just 25 minutes throughout the two seasons he has been a professional. McClung had a turbulent path that involved him originally joining Georgetown to play his college ball before transferring to Texas Tech. Throughout his three seasons, he averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He went undrafted in 2021 and spent time with the Lakers and Warriors organizations, as well as signing a 10-day contract with the Bulls, before the Sixers signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal in October.
Impact on Delaware Blue Coats
While McClung has not gotten a chance with the Sixers yet, his impact on the Blue Coats has been clear. Through the opening eight games of the season, he has averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game across his 25.5 minutes. He also is connecting on 38.5% of his three-point attempts which is a notable sign of development as this was a critique of him coming into the NBA. McClung ranks second on the team in points and assists while playing the fourth-most minutes.
Seen way too many people mad that Mac Mcclung is gonna be in the dunk contest cause he’s a G-Leaguer
He and Shaedon are gonna put on a show
In a recent interview with ESPN, McClung opened up on his unwillingness to give up on his NBA dream. As he put it, “It is tough. When you get offered multiple millions of dollars to go overseas it’d be pretty crazy to turn it down, but my heart has always been this (NBA) and I really truly believe it’s gonna happen. So yeah, it was a tough decision.”
This is a familiar path for those on the NBA border. Just this summer, former Blue Coats and Sixers standout Myles Powell elected to take a seven-figure deal to join the Bay Area Dragons in the East Asia Super League rather than remain with the team. However, McClung remains laser-focused on paving his NBA path.
Opportunities are not easy to come by and McClung will be continuing to wait patiently and perform at the highest level. He will have a chance to showcase his abilities to the world during the dunk contest on February 18th. It may be a non-traditional choice to give the G League standout the opportunity, but he is sure to put on a show. Considering the inconsistent talent level the competition has produced over the past few years, this should be looked at as a win for viewers everywhere.