Who is Mac McClung? Everything to know about the reigning slam dunk contest champ
Select NBA players are going to defy gravity once more at this year's Slam Dunk Contest, hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 17.
Among this year's four participants is reigning champion Matthew "Mac" McClung, the G League player who amazed audiences last year when he claimed victory despite not having an NBA contract.
And one year later, after claiming his $100,000 slam dunk prize and multiple deals with major companies that include Puma and Raising Cane's, McClung, 25, has yet to secure an NBA contract.
McClung first set himself apart as a skilled dunker at Gate City High in southwest Virginia, when videos of the high schooler went viral. For a brief time, McClung was Virginia’s all-time leading scorer in boys’ basketball and scored 47 in a state title game in 2018.
"He solidified himself as probably one of the greatest slam dunk competitors that we've had in the history of the game,” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said after last year's contest, adding that he had been watching McClung’s videos since his high school days.
Here's everything to know about the reigning dunk champion looking to protect his title this weekend.
Where is Mac McClung from?
McClung is from Gate City, Virginia. He first started dunking playing varsity basketball as a sophomore at Gate City High School.
Which team does Mac McClung play for?
This season, McClung plays for the Osceola Magic in the G League, the NBA's official minor league.
He joined the Delaware Blue Coats for the 2022-23 season, during which he won a G League title and averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds. He also shot 54.8% from the field, 47.4% on 3-pointers and 82.3% on free throws.
He ended the season playing two games with the Philadelphia 76ers, recording 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the Sixers’ season-ending victory against Brooklyn.
Where did Mac McClung play in college?
McClung attended Georgetown University for two seasons beginning in 2018, where he averaged 14.2 points per game, before transferring to Texas Tech in 2020.
There, he averaged 15.5 points per game in his lone season with the Red Raiders in 2020-21. He eventually declared for the NBA draft, though he went undrafted. He split 2021-22 bouncing between the Lakers and Chicago Bulls organizations, but was still named G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Who is Mac McClung dunking against in the slam dunk contest?
At this weekend's NBA contest, McClung is competing against Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown, Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks. Toppin's older brother, Obi Toppin, won the dunk contest in 2022.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Mac McClung? What to know about the reigning dunk contest champ
