Mac McClung, the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner, has opened up on when he can play in the NBA and what the fans can expect from him.
Mac McClung took the NBA world by storm over the All-Star weekend in Utah where he put on an absolute show in the Slam Dunk Contest. Largely an unknown face in the basketball community considering he has been in the G League all season long, his incredible dunking form surprised quite a few people as he became the first white player to ever win the Dunk Contest.
Shortly before the All-Star break, the Philadelphia 76ers signed McClung to a two-way deal, meaning they can call him up whenever they want. The Texas youngster currently has only two NBA games under his belt with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, but according to him, it is only a matter of time before he plays in the best basketball league in the world.
After a tough night shooting the ball (2-for-9 overall) for the Delaware Blue Coats in Wednesday’s loss to the Motor City Cruise, McClung did express a desire to eventually get to the NBA. “I wanna be in the NBA,” McClung said. “I wanna make an impact. I can’t have nights like tonight, but waiting my turn and I can control what I can control and that’s about it.”
McClung added that he needs to constantly improve to be in the NBA, and also spoke about changing his reputation from a dunker to a complete player.
“There’s definitely constant improvement on both sides of the ball,” McClung said. “I think it’s easy to say ‘Oh if I get better at this, I’ll get a chance’, but a lot of it is just waiting your turn. I really haven’t had a turn yet so when I have that turn, I believe I’ll make the most of it.”
When asked about the fact that most NBA fans only know him as a dunker at the moment rather than a complete package, McClung showed maturity beyond his years. “I’m not really like into worrying what other people think about my game,” he said. “I think that’ll speak for itself when the time it’s supposed to, but I just focus on myself and getting better each day really.”
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