Mac McClung stole the show at NBA All-Star Saturday with his performance in the Slam Dunk Contest. McClung, who signed a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on Valentine's Day, won the competition despite being undersized.
McClung stands at just 6'2" but had a measured vertical leap of 43.5 inches at the NBA G League Draft Combine. It's among the top 10 in draft combine history, including the NBA. There were even some claims that McClung's vertical could reach 47 to 48 inches in high school.
Due to his hops, the NBA invited McClung to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest despite him playing in the G League at the time. The Sixers made sure he was on an NBA roster by signing him to a two-way contract last week.
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70% Win
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70% Win
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70% Win
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'; }); pollOptions.innerHTML = pollOptionsDom; pollCount.innerHTML = totalVotes + ' votes'; if (totalVotes > 10) { pollCount.classList.remove("hidden"); } } function trackBetsTodayPollImpression() { var intersectionObserverForArticlePoll = new IntersectionObserver( function(entries) { entries.forEach(function(entry) { var pollId = entry.target.getAttribute("data-poll-id"); if (POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['impression_tracked']) return; if (!entry.target || !entry.isIntersecting || entry.intersectionRatio < 0.5) return; setTimeout(function() { if (isInViewport(entry.target)) { POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['impression_tracked'] = true; var isDesktop = "1"; var gaPayload = { "question" : POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['question'], "category": "Basketball", "page_url": window.location.href, "option1": POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['option1'], "option2": POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['option2'], } if (isDesktop) { gaPayload["device"] = "Desktop"; } else { gaPayload["device"] = "Mobile"; } gtag("event", "BETS_TODAY_POLL_IMPRESSION", gaPayload); intersectionObserverForArticlePoll.unobserve(entry.target); } }, 1000); }); }, { threshold: 0.5 } ); var pollElements = document.querySelectorAll('.bets-today-poll'); pollElements.forEach(function(pollElement) { var isAnswered = pollElement.querySelector(".poll-option-answered"); if (!isAnswered) { intersectionObserverForArticlePoll.observe(pollElement); } }) } return { answerPollX: answerPollX, }; }();Sure enough, Mac McClung did not disappoint at the Slam Dunk Contest. His first dunk got a perfect score of 50 from the judges — Jamal Crawford, Lisa Leslie, Karl Malone, Harold Miner and Dominique Wilkins.
McClung jumped over two people, grabbed the ball and tapped it off the glass before finishing with a reverse dunk.
For his second dunk, McClung showed off his hangtime with a two-handed 360 pump slam. He only received a score of 49.8, with Lisa Leslie giving him a 49.
In Round 3, McClung jumped over someone, grabbed the ball and performed an insane double-pumped dunk. The slam got 50 points from the judges, and it looked even better in slow motion.
In the final round, McClung wore his high school jersey and hit a 540 slam with ease. As usual, the judges gave him 50 points for a near-perfect performance to win the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest.
Mac McClung's NBA journey
Mac McClung was an internet sensation in high school playing for Gate City in Virginia. He became popular due to his high-flying dunks before playing college basketball at Georgetown and Texas Tech.
McClung declared for the 2021 NBA draft but went undrafted. McClung first played for the LA Lakers' G League affiliate in 2021 before the Chicago Bulls signed him to a 10-day deal. He made his NBA debut on Dec. 30 that year against the Atlanta Hawks, scoring two points.
After his second 10-day contract with the Bulls expired, the Lakers re-acquired him and assigned him to the G League. He played in the final Lakers game of the season, dunking the ball in the final seconds of their win against the Denver Nuggets.
McClung became a free agent this summer, with the Golden State Warriors signing him to a training camp deal. He was waived by the Warriors before the season, joining the Delaware Blue Coats. He now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way deal.
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