Who’s the Mac?

Mac McClung wins the NBA Dunk Contest

'bumpyjonas…
The Press Box

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Photo — Mac McClung — Georgetown U Sports — Copyright © Georgetown University Sports

When Mac McClung, a “white” NBA basketball player won the famous Dunk contest All Star weekend, I said to myself, I knew that was coming.

McClung is a leaper. Yet, I knew what he was about because he got his start for the Georgetown Hoyas in my hometown Washington D.C. When he came to Hoya land, many did not know about him. Yet, McClung was a secret story in D.C. We knew.

He was from Virginia and broke some of Allen Iverson high school records when he played high school basketball. He was a small town kid where people barely care about basketball but McClung could sky and so he was on a few radars if you traveled those back roads.

He didn’t get many scholarship offers but Georgetown with Pat Ewing coaching gave him one. And McClung played big minutes as Ewing tried to build the program back up.

First year, 13 points per game, second year, 15 per game. He had guts and determination despite his size. He toyed with going to the NBA but then backed out, only to transfer to Texas Tech where he again averaged 15 points per game. McClung went pro in 2021 but has mostly bounced around the G-League determined to play somewhere.

He was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers on a two way G League deal when he was offered a slot in the Dunk…

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'bumpyjonas…
The Press Box

word scratcher, baller...shot caller, born in a city made of chocolate.