Mac McClung has only played in two NBA games, but for one night he was the league’s brightest star. McClung dominated Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest with three perfect scores on his four dunks, all of which drew a massive reaction from the crowd at Vivint Arena, writes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post.
“It’s great,” McClung said after defeating the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy in the finals. “I’m truly blessed and grateful to the NBA for giving me this opportunity. If you guys will have me, I’ll be back (next year).”
The 6’2″ guard wowed the packed house with his incredible leaping ability and acrobatics, leaving some of the NBA’s top players and former stars visibly impressed. He started the final round with a “double double-clutch” dunk, as Golliver describes it, then ended the night with a spinning reverse slam.
It was a memorable performance for a player who had been in the G League all season before signing a two-way contract with the Sixers on Tuesday. After brief trials with the Lakers, Bulls and Warriors over the last two years, McClung will try to use his newfound fame to help him stick on an NBA roster.
There’s more on the Sixers:
- McClung would have missed the opportunity to become an All-Star Weekend sensation if he had accepted one of the offers received to play overseas last summer. According to Rich Hofman of The Athletic, McClung could have made more than $1MM with either Fenerbahce in Turkey or the Shanghai Sharks in China. He opted for an Exhibit 10 deal with Philadelphia that he believed gave him a better path to the NBA.
- A Sixers source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the organization believes Joel Embiid intends to play in Sunday’s All-Star Game, but Pompey suggests it would be better for Embiid and the team if he sits it out. Pompey notes that Embiid has been dealing with soreness in his left foot for much of the season and hasn’t been fully healthy for about a month.
- Kevin Love will reportedly talk to the Sixers before deciding on his next team, but Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice isn’t convinced that it would be a good fit. Philadelphia has a full roster, so someone would have to be waived to make room for Love, and Neubeck sees Paul Reed or the recently signed Dewayne Dedmon as the best choices. Although Love could provide an upgrade with his rebounding, Neubeck points out that the Sixers already have a similar forward in Georges Niang.
Never thought about KLove to the Sixers.
If that’s an option I’d definitely take it. He’d be perfect as a small ball 5 off the bench. He’s a great rebounder and shooter and knows what it takes to win games. Not to mention that playoff experience would be huge for us.
However what he does lack is some defence. He’s abit older and slower now and his shot blocking also wouldn’t be as good as other options.
Embiid can’t be serious about winning if he puts a meaningless All-star appearance before getting healthy for the stretch run. But I fully expect him to do it.
Especially in light of the failures and injuries in previous postseasons, playing in this game would be a pretty bad look.
How does a dude who doesn’t actually play in the NBA. Get selected to participate in the Dunk Contest??? Then gets celebrated for winning the Dunk Contest. Why not open it up to dudes off the street?
If you didn’t notice last night, the nba cares about marketing the G league. If you don’t think for one second that guy cannot out dunk most of the nba, then your eyes are seeing things.
He should be in the “G” League Dunk Contest then.
Why can the NBA not have players actually under contract participate in the NBA Dunk Contest???
What else in the NBA is scripted??? This clearly was right down to signing a 10-day deal on Tuesday.
Larry he signed a 2 way he’s a nba player.
@VB, guessing you didn’t get to see the contest because of the interference from your tin foil hat
Mac can dunk, but his NBA chops need some work…
How many guys that participated last nite chops DONT need some work?
If NBA accolades were the requirement, many of those guys wouldn’t have been there at all.
Give McClung his roses and stop singling him out on his chops.
His HOPS are gonna make him a very rich man this week, via NIKE or some other brand.
Like Harold Miner, and Aaron Gordon, and so many other dunking duds of the past?
Aaron Gordon is having a pretty damn good year in Denver right now. Not sure I’d slot him in the same category as Minor. And if you’re referring to his dunking capability, I can see some of that there, but it’s not his fault that there was no competition when he won, either.
Pretty hilarious that you are so concerned about the purity of an exhibition dunk contest that’s basically very irrelevant for over 30 years. It’s probably the first buzz about the dunk contest since the age of Jordon. Hilarious !
Mac McClung won the dunk contest but I don’t want to see that. I want to see the real dunkers in the NBA go at it. I want to see Zion Williamson Ja Morant Anthony Edwards and Derrick Jones Jr.
I don’t know, maybe you should learn more about the NBA. McClung signed a two-way deal with the Sixers earlier in the week, which does make him officially an NBA player. Prior to signing that deal, he did, and does still, play for the G league affiliate. That’s why they call it a two-way contract.
The participants were set long ago. He signed a “Two-Way” contract earlier in the week. It was all scripted!
Two-way contract guys should NOT be in the NBA Dunk Contest either. You should be on a standard NBA contract. Not a two-way deal, not a 10-day contract, and not one where you have NOT actually played in an NBA game this season.
Would be hilarious if they cut him today.
First player to participate in the Dunk Contest WITHOUT actually playing in an NBA game. What sense does that make?????
Why not have Scoot Henderson participate. Gonna be #2 pick in the draft. He IS in the G-League. Britney Griner???? Doesn’t she “deserve” to get her flowers after the prison stint?
He’s played in two games.
Britney Griner?
If he’s good enough to win why does it matter?
He was putting up 19.1 ppg shooting 57%/50% in the G league. 76ers only have 2 PGs ahead of him.
While there is some compelling evidence throughout Professional Sports that would cause one to believe that they are scripted and fixed. The NBA Dunk Contest results doesn’t warrant those thoughts.
I think many are overthinking and overreacting to it. The NBA I am sure was very aware of McClung’s dunking skills and was able to get him in the contest based on a recent contractual agreement, however to suggest there was a fix placed? No! I don’t see it.