Originally, this slam dunk contest was expected to be a poor one with poor ratings, but unexpectedly, the final result was extremely brilliant, and all of this came from a draft pick who was only 188 centimeters tall and had only played two official NBA games white defender. After the game, “Who is Mac McClung?” also became a popular keyword. After all, who is this Mac McClung?
I have to say that this slam dunk contest was unexpectedly good-looking.
how to say? Mainly because the past few slam dunk contests are really lackluster.
But let’s be honest, it’s also a crime other than war. I often feel that following the classic duel between Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine in 2016, the taste of the audience has been raised. If there is no more gimmicky ideas, more explosive slam dunk tension, or more elegant aerial extensions, then Everyone will naturally find it boring.
However, those actions require high talent (jumping ability, airborne ability) to do, and even if you have talent, you have to innovate in creativity. These conditions have become an insurmountable wall in the ratings of the slam dunk contest .
But Mac McClung, a young man from the Development League, has refreshed everyone’s three views.
“He deserves to be in the NBA.”
“Although he is a little short in stature, this kid is really good at dancing.”
“I’m sure Mac McClung can’t miss a dunk.”
“He might even set the record for the most slam dunk contest wins by a player who isn’t in the NBA.”
Before the game, Shaquille O’Neal did not hesitate to show his appreciation for this little brother. Who is this Mac McClung?
Mac McClung has been a good athlete since he was a child. Although he is only 188 cm tall, his explosive physical strength makes him different from his peers. He was the absolute main force of the basketball team in high school. His total score in the four years of high school also set a new record record in school history.
And the former record holder is not Xiaoka, but the famous former star Allen Iverson.
“He treated me very well and was a very good senior.”
“He also taught me a lot of things, which will help me a lot in the future.”
McClung’s good performance naturally attracted Iverson’s attention, and he also invited this junior to participate in the classic game he held. In the game, McClung’s slam dunk also impressed Iverson. According to McClung’s memory, Iverson even had a good time with himself following the game to communicate. (Extended reading: “Analysis Before the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest” The battle between the son of the Beastist dunker, the historical jumper and the all-powerful white Dunker)
It is such outstanding offensive ability that allowed McClung to receive invitations from many universities. In the end, he chose to study at Georgetown University like Iverson. However, from high school to college, McClung’s offensive ability is not as good as in high school He is sharp, and his hit rate is not ideal. Even following transferring to another school following studying for two years, he has not improved in the new environment.
After all, the stature is too short, if the ball handling and shooting skills are not top-notch…
Yes! At this level, the top is no longer enough. Without the super top to make up for the shortcomings of height, it is really difficult to survive in the college arena, let alone the NBA.
Therefore, following three years in college, McClung found that his draft predictions had not changed much, and finally decided to participate in the draft to fight for his dream.
Unlike the hot-blooded comics, he lost the draft. In the 2021 draft, no team is willing to give him a chance.
But this did not kill McClung’s dream of playing in the NBA. He immediately looked for opportunities in the development league, and stayed in the development league of the Lakers, Bulls, and Warriors. Time is honed in the development league.
“I thought I was a little sloppy on the defensive end.”
“I have to find in every game where I can be better.”
“I think I did a really good job with the lob.”
“But with other passes, I can definitely do better.”
In the development league game, McClung worked hard to hone his skills. When he was cut by the Warriors last season, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told him seriously that a player of his height, in addition to scoring , Passing skills also need to be strengthened, and with McClung’s efforts to improve, he also won the best rookie in the development league last season.
“It would be awesome if it happened!”
“This means I’m certified by the NBA!”
In fact, McClung is like a short guard who puts all his points in physical fitness in the game. His flexibility is amazing, and he even uploads some videos of explosive dunks on his personal social platform from time to time, gaining fans. Probably more than some NBA players. He didn’t stop his violent slam dunks because he was in the Development League. On the contrary, many fans looked forward to his blood-thirsty slam dunk show every night. It was this high popularity that attracted him. With the attention of the league, he made an exception to participate in this slam dunk contest.
“I’m very lucky and grateful that the NBA gave me this opportunity.”
In the first shot, McClung flew over 2 people, touched the ball to the backboard, and then poured it back. Such a combination of difficulty and creativity allowed him to score a full score of 50.
In the second shot, following McClung jumped backwards, he pulled a pole in the air, and then turned forward to dunk the ball in. Some judges on the sidelines even raised a 50-point sign, but in the end the total score was still due to a Only 49 points were awarded by the judges, resulting in McClung’s score of 49.8 points, but it was enough for him to enter the final.
In the third shot, following McClung flew over a person, he pulled two shots in the air, and then dunked the ball in reverse. This time, he undisputedly scored 50 points.
For the final shot, McClung put on his high school jersey, took off, spun nearly 540 degrees in the air, and dunked the ball into the hoop. After coming down, he imitated the well-known gesture of the famous dunker Vince Carter in the slam dunk contest, saying “It’s over” on his mouth.
“If you are willing to accept me, I will come back once more.”
After the game, McClung asked in an interview whether there would be a battle to defend the throne next year. McClung said that as long as he was still in the league at that time, he would be absolutely happy.
Perhaps he also knows that he still has many shortcomings in order to stand firm in the league. After all, there are still many players who have won the slam dunk contest before but lost the stage in the NBA.
“I have always wanted to see some scenery that I have never seen before.”
“Hopefully, I can do it with my dunk.”
McClung really slam dunked, took himself to see different scenery, and gave everyone an excellent visual feast this weekend, and this may be just the beginning for McClung, I hope he can use this championship to let himself have More chances to prove yourself.
