Mac McClung has enjoyed quite a week.
The 24-year-old guard – once a teenage YouTuber who now plays in the G-League, the official minor league for the NBA – signed a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
On Saturday, McClung crowned a fairytale few days by winning the NBA’s annual Slam Dunk Contest – despite not technically being an NBA player.
He signed a sponsorship deal with Puma after agreeing a two-way contract with the Sixers, which allows him to sign with an NBA franchise and still play for its G-League affiliate.
Becoming the first G-League player to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest had already caused a scene. Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant – a 13-time NBA All-Star – called the move “crazy”.
But after he produced three dazzling dunks to win, NBA greats Shaq O’Neal and Magic Johnson said McClung had “saved” a contest which had lost its shine in recent years.
“Ever since the beginning, I was the underdog,” said McClung, who has emulated Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant by becoming the Slam Dunk Contest champion.
“Proving others right instead of others wrong brings a little more satisfaction.”
McClung scored perfect 50s on three of his four dunks – which included a 540-degree turn more commonly produced by skateboarders, and vaulting like a gymnast off two of his friends before reverse dunking.
McClung has enjoyed quite the journey as a basketball player.
Fans might have first heard his name – and seen his athleticism – through the reems of YouTube videos that showcase his talent and have had over one million views.
Before that he blasted records as a star player at Gate City High School, becoming the all-time leading scorer in Virginia High School League history.
Touted as the “most exciting player in high school” in one YouTube video, he has not yet managed to make the transition to NBA regular.
McClung, who is 6ft 2in and relies on his explosive spring for his incredible dunking skills, has been on the books of the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.
But he has only played twice in the NBA, for the Bulls in December 2021 and then the Lakers in their season finale in April 2022.
Now the 2021-22 NBA G-League Rookie of the Year is hoping to find a regular place in the Sixers’ roster.
“It’s definitely been an eventful week planning all the dunks and also being called up,” McClung told US sports network Stadium.
“It’s funny how things really happen when you least expect it, but it’s all been a blessing.”
