Osceola crowd favorite remains hopeful and humble
Mac McClung has come a long way from when he was a high schooler putting dunk videos on Instagram and TikTok. He is now a two-way player for the Orlando Magic and the two-time defending NBA Dunk Contest winner. But the road for the undrafted McClung has been a long and windy one.
McClung is averaging 17.4 points and 4.7 assists this season for the Osceola Magic. He is expected back for the second half season opener at Silver Spurs Arena on Friday against College Park at 7 p.m. after missing the G League Showcase while nursing a leg injury.
McClung, a 6’2” guard, started posting video of himself dunking and doing basketball tricks when he was at Gate High School in Gate City, Virginia. From those videos he because an internet sensation before he even took the court for a college game. He still holds the Virginia High School league record for 1,153 points in his senior year and 2,801 points for his career.
“My hometown is small, like a thousand people,” McClung said. “I saw it was getting views but until I left my small town, I didn’t realize that people know who I am. We’d go to play and sell out games. That pressure helped me to prepare for Georgetown.”
McClung played at Georgetown for three seasons and averaged 15.7 points and 2.4 assists for the Big East school. He said that former Georgetown coach and NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing helped him learn to relax when he played for the Hoyas. McClung noted he had a great experience at Georgetown.
“He still texts me to this day,” McClung said of Ewing. “I think he is a great coach and a great person.”
McClung transferred to Texas Tech for his senior year in 2020-21, averaged 14.2 points per game and was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. McClung helped the Red Raiders make it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He said he chose to go to Texas Tech because of the way Coach Chris Beard recruited him.
“He did his research on me, and I looked him in the eyes and trusted him. I knew he had my back,” McClung said. “It was one of the favorite years of my life. We were top 10 a lot that year, so it was successful.”
McClung went undrafted in that year’s NBA Draft but signed with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, and helped lead the team to the league championship a year later, and soon after – literally -- he got called up to the Philadelphia 76ers.
“It’s such a high as it’s hard to win a championship at any level, McClung noted. “An hour after the game they told me I was flying to Atlanta the next day to play an NBA game.”
During that season McClung won the first of two NBA Dunk contests. He said he thought he was being pranked when he first received the call inviting him to the dunk contest, at least until he spoke to his agent. He then had a week and a half to figure out the dunks he would perform.
McClung signed with the Osceola Magic last year, and in February defended the Dunk contest title. He was coy when asked if he would be competing this year, but said he would be better prepared than previous years if he participates.
“I was more stressed the second time because I wanted to live up to the performance [of the first dunk contest],” McClung said. I worked hard on it trying to be creative. I really enjoyed it.
“I’m praying on it and thinking about doing it this year. It’s such a prestigious contest that I want to do it justice.”
His winning dunk last season was a dunk over 7’2” NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. Ironically, the event helped McClung earn a sponsorship with The General insurance company that also uses O’Neal as a spokesperson.
Whlie the NBA Dunk contest championships have earned him sponsorship opportunities, the reality is that the 24-year-old McClung wants to play in the NBA on a regular basis. The Magic want McClung to focus on the point guard position, which explains why he is focusing on his passing game.
“I'm not worried about how many points I score,” McClung said. “And I noticed when I'm just worried about passing, shots come easier for me anyway. I really want to show teams I can dominate just being a point guard. I want to show the Magic.”
Osceola Coach Dylan Murphy said earlier this season that McClung is working on running the team as the point guard.
“[McClung] looked to share the ball and that resulted him getting more efficient shots as a result,” Murphy said after a recent game. “I thought he was looking to make the right plays throughout the game.”
There are days where McClung works out with both the Orlando Magic and the Osceola Magic to prepare for both teams. He suited up and played for the NBA side on Oct. 26 in Memphis, tallying two assists.
“I’ve gotten a lot more practices and a lot more film,” McClung said. “I have some days where I have two workouts, and then [weightlifting] after the game, and then I'll dress out for the [Orlando] Magic.”
In looking back at his journey from Gate City, Va., to Washington, D.C. to Texas to Delaware, and now Osceola, McClung credits his success to his “genuine love of the game.”
“I think each year, I go into how I can become better this year, instead of being like, can I win this, or can I finally get [to the NBA] this year,” McClung said. “It's like, ‘How much better can I get this year?’ and that other stuff takes care of itself. When I look back I know I want more, but I am also very proud of myself for all the things I overcame.
“I think for me I look back and see that was God's plan the whole time. Sometimes when things are really rough, you see why they happened, and you know now. It's funny how you look back and everything does come into place.”
McClung’s positive attitude and work effort will hopefully lead to a permanent spot on the Orlando Magic roster this season to signify the end of his nomadic basketball journey and the start of his NBA career.
