Watch: Mac McClung brings out his high school jersey on phenomenal dunk to seal the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest
Philadelphia 76ers' guard Mac McClung produced a dunk contest performance for the ages during the 2023 NBA All-Star Saturday night. McClung locked horns with New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy in the final round. For his final dunk of the game, McClung put on his Gate City high school jersey and sealed his dunk contest win in his debut appearance at the event. Here's a clip of it:
: Live on TNT3 PERFECT SCORES
MAC MCCLUNG IS THE 2023 #ATTSlamDunk CONTEST CHAMPION 🏆
#ATTSlamDunk x #StateFarmSaturday
📺: Live on TNT https://t.co/kBpwkX3xTP
McClung achieved perfect scores in three attempts. He nearly went 720 on his last dunk attempt and made it in a single go. McClung left everyone in the arena speechless as he proceeded to hit Vince Carter's famous "it's over celebration" after his ultimate dunk that saw him win the award.
Dunk contest is Mac McClung's official welcome to the NBA moment
Mac McClung has shown promise, rising up the ranks in the G-League after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft. He spent majority of his time with the LA Lakers' affiliate South-Bay Lakers. McClung made his NBA debut with the franchise as well. However, he didn't receive many opportunities later. He received his second NBA call with the Chicago Bulls via a 10-day contract.
McClung played one game for the six-time champions before being assigned to their G-League affiliate in 2022. His stint with Chicago didn't last longer than a few weeks as he returned to the South Bay Lakers. McClung finished the season as the rookie of the year.
Mac McClung was once again let go by the LA Lakers last offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent. He played two games for the team at the 2022 NBA Summer League before joining the Golden State Warriors for the rest of the tournament.
The Warriors didn't keep him for long either, releasing him just over two weeks before the opening night. McClung has been with the Philadelphia 76ers G-League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats since the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. The Sixers recently signed him to a two-way contract.
Shortly after that, Mac McClung received an invitation from the NBA to participate in the 2023 All-Star Slam Dunk contest. Accepting the invitation was probably the best move by the 6'2" guard.
"If you guys will have me, I'll be back."
Mac McClung already has his sights set on another #ATTSlamDunk 🏆 https://t.co/ze6lNHs3oT
McClung has been a high-flying guard since his sophomore days in high school. It's not surprising that he was as confident as a veteran during his debut dunk contest on Saturday. He didn't get a single score that was under 49 by the judges.
Mac McClung has certainly caught the eye of the NBA world, and this could be the beginning of a stellar journey in the league ahead for the 24-year-old.