The year 2023 has been kind to Mac McClung. The two-way player with the Delaware Blue Coats made his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers post All-Star break, won a G-League championship and took home the trophy in the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest.
Not a bad spring for the 6-foot-2 guard that played for both Georgetown and Texas Tech in college. With 1.2 million followers on Instagram, McClung has long been amazing fans with his springiness and dunk abilities for years. His success in the dunk contest this year helped drive up ticket sales for the back half of the Blue Coats’ season, according to Front Office Sports.
MORE: Mac McClung had the classiest answer about potentially defending his Dunk Contest throne
McClung averaged 19.8 points per game, shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 47.4 percent in his second season in the G-League. He’s seeing his hard work pay off with sponsorships — AT&T, Raising Cane’s, the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie and Puma are among those that have collaborated with the Gate City, Virginia native in 2023 — and is extremely grateful for the experiences he’s had.
.@McclungMac Never seen a dunk with this much heat 🔥🐉?! @DnDmovie 3.31 #ad pic.twitter.com/rWB75Ccjc9
— Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) March 24, 2023
“Do I think I should be in the NBA? Yes, absolutely,” McClung told For The Win in a May interview. “I think by numbers, our success — we won the championship — my opportunities, I feel like I’ve made the most of it. I know that I’m an NBA player. It’s all in God’s timing and making the most of the opportunity I do get.”
Now, McClung is preparing for next season, coming up with new dunks and partnering with AT&T during the playoffs for their Dunk Pool, which puts $5,000 in a bucket for each dunk in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. It’s a match made in heaven.
“The dunk pool … I mean, I love dunking, which is obvious,” McClung said with a laugh. “For every dunk in the Conference Finals, they’re going to donate five Gs to the dunk pool. I think that’s exciting because we all love watching dunks no matter what team we’re pulling for.”
McClung’s pick of Denver winning the NBA title is looking good after Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in four games.
