Mac McClung Bio
Matthew Ford “Mac” McClung (born January 6, 1999) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls. Standing 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and listed at 185 lb (84 kg), he has built a reputation as one of the most athletic guards in the developmental ranks. He is best known as the only player in NBA history to win three consecutive Slam Dunk Contests (2023, 2024, and 2025) and as the all-time leading scorer in NBA G League history.
A consensus three-star recruit out of Gate City High School in Virginia, McClung played college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas (2018–2020) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (2020–2021) before going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft. Since then, he has spent time with the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, and Indiana Pacers, while developing into a centerpiece of the G League’s modern era.
Early Life and Background
Mac McClung was born on January 6, 1999, in Gate City, Virginia, a small town of about 2,000 residents in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area along the Tennessee–Virginia border. He is the son of Marcus McClung and Lenoir McClung, who met as students at Virginia Tech, where Marcus played football and Lenoir was a cheerleader. His father later became an attorney serving as Commonwealth Attorney for Scott County, while his mother taught driver’s education at Gate City High School.
McClung initially focused on football, the more popular sport in Southwest Virginia, before discovering basketball just before seventh grade when his mother signed him up for a local youth league. His family recalled that he was extraordinarily competitive as a child, prompting his father to regularly ban him from a basement gym the family had built. According to McClung, his shooting form improved after he broke his arm snowboarding in eighth grade, and he continued to train with Greg Ervin, the former head coach at Gate City High.
Path to Basketball
McClung first dunked as a sophomore playing varsity basketball at Gate City High School and quickly gained attention for his leaping ability. As a junior in 2017, he scored a career-high 64 points in a loss to Dan River High School, the best scoring performance in school history and the highest among Virginia public schools since 1984. MaxPreps labeled him “one of nation’s most exciting players,” and he was named Southwest Virginia Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year by the Bristol Herald Courier.
During his senior season in 2017–18, McClung broke Allen Iverson’s VHSL single-season scoring record of 948 points and finished with 1,153 points, leading Gate City to its first state championship while setting a VHSL all-classes career record of 2,801 points. After initially committing to Rutgers, he decommitted in October 2017 and signed with Georgetown, where head coach Patrick Ewing was among those watching his senior debut.
Mac McClung Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
As a freshman at Georgetown in 2018–19, McClung averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, leading Big East Conference freshmen in scoring and earning a spot on the Big East All-Freshman Team. He scored a season-high 38 points against Little Rock on December 22, 2018, and declared for the 2020 NBA draft before withdrawing and entering the transfer portal in May 2020.
McClung transferred to Texas Tech and was granted immediate eligibility, averaging 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his lone season with the Red Raiders. He was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team in 2021. After entering the 2021 NBA draft, he went undrafted and joined the Los Angeles Lakers for NBA Summer League before being waived in October 2021.
G League Breakthrough (2021–2023)
McClung signed with the South Bay Lakers in October 2021 and opened his G League career with 24 points, nine assists, and six rebounds in a victory over the NBA G League Ignite. After brief 10-day stints with the Chicago Bulls and a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was named the 2021–22 NBA G League Rookie of the Year with South Bay.
Joining the Delaware Blue Coats in 2022–23, McClung was selected for the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game. On February 18, 2023, he won the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City, with 19 of his 20 judge scores registering a perfect 50. He capped the season by helping Delaware win the 2023 NBA G League title on April 7, 2023, and later signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, recording a near triple-double (20 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) in his final regular-season appearance.
Osceola Magic Era (2023–2025)
McClung signed with the Orlando Magic in September 2023 and was assigned to the Osceola Magic, where he emerged as a leading scorer. On February 17, 2024, he won the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Indianapolis, becoming the first G League player to win the event and joining Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson, and Zach LaVine as the only back-to-back champions. He was later named the 2023–24 NBA G League Most Valuable Player after averaging 25.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.
Re-signing with Orlando in 2024, McClung won a historic third straight Slam Dunk Contest on February 15, 2025, with four perfect-score dunks. He joined Nate Robinson as the only three-time champions and became the only player to win three in a row. His dynamic scoring carried into 2025–26, when he set the G League’s all-time scoring record on March 24, 2026, with a 59-point performance against the Birmingham Squadron.
Chicago / Windy City Bulls Era (2025–Present)
After a short stint with the Indiana Pacers in October and November 2025, McClung returned to the Windy City Bulls on November 9, 2025. On February 5, 2026, the Chicago Bulls signed him to a two-way contract, and he debuted that night with four points, one rebound, one assist, and one block in 13 minutes. He was later selected as a replacement for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game.
McClung’s Windy City tenure has produced some of the most prolific scoring nights in G League history. On March 10, 2026, he scored 54 points against the College Park Skyhawks, the fifth-highest single-game total in league history. On April 3, 2026, he was named MVP of the 2025–26 NBA G League season, becoming the first player to win multiple G League MVP awards.
Driving Style and Strengths
McClung is recognized as a high-flying, score-first guard whose elite vertical leap and creativity at the rim set him apart in the G League. He thrives in transition, finishes above the rim with both power and finesse, and has developed into a reliable perimeter shooter. His ability to create offense in pick-and-roll and his competitive edge have made him a featured option in Windy City’s offense.
Notable Events and Milestones
McClung’s signature achievements include three consecutive NBA Slam Dunk Contest titles (2023–2025), the 2023 NBA G League championship with Delaware, and the G League’s all-time scoring record set in March 2026. He is also a two-time NBA G League MVP (2024, 2026) and the 2021–22 G League Rookie of the Year.
Mac McClung Career Wins
Mac McClung’s career is defined by individual accolades and championship success across the NBA and NBA G League. He has won one NBA G League title, two G League MVP awards, and three consecutive Slam Dunk Contest crowns, while also earning multiple All-NBA G League and Rookie honors.
G League Highlights
McClung’s most significant G League accomplishment came on April 7, 2023, when he helped the Delaware Blue Coats win the NBA G League championship. He was named the 2023–24 and 2025–26 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and led the league in scoring during the 2023–24 and 2025–26 seasons, capping the latter by setting the all-time league scoring record.
He was also a three-time All-NBA G League First Team selection (2024, 2025, 2026), the 2021–22 Rookie of the Year, and a 2022 All-Rookie Team member. His selection to the 2023 NBA G League Next Up Game highlighted his growing national profile.
Other Wins and Performances
At the college level, McClung was named the 2021 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earned a place on the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team at Texas Tech after a 15.5-point season. As a freshman at Georgetown in 2018–19, he led Big East freshmen in scoring and was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team.
Mac McClung Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mac McClung is the son of Marcus McClung and Lenoir McClung. His father played football at Virginia Tech and later became an attorney serving as Commonwealth Attorney for Scott County, Virginia, while his mother was a cheerleader at Virginia Tech and a driver’s education teacher at Gate City High. His older sister, Anna, finished her high school soccer career as the VHSL’s all-time goal-scoring leader and went on to play at Florida State and Tennessee.
His uncle, Seth McClung, competed with two Major League Baseball teams, and his cousins Correne and Colette both played Division I college and professional hockey, with Correne also representing the Canadian national team. The family’s athletic background helped shape McClung’s competitive drive and provided the resources for him to join a Richmond-based AAU travel team in his youth.
Personal Life
McClung continues to make his home in the United States and remains closely tied to his family in Southwest Virginia. He is widely recognized for his humility and connection to Gate City, the small community that produced him. His competitive fire, first noted by his parents and sister in childhood interviews, remains a defining feature of his playing career.
2025 Season Performance
Mac McClung’s 2025 calendar year was a study in transitions, beginning with his third consecutive Slam Dunk Contest title on February 15, 2025, in San Francisco. Each of his four winning dunks received a perfect 50 from the judges, cementing his status as the only three-time consecutive champion. The win sparked national attention and reinforced his brand as the league’s premier in-game athlete.
After the All-Star weekend, McClung continued his strong play with the Osceola Magic before signing a multi-year contract with the Indiana Pacers on October 27, 2025. His Pacers debut on October 29 produced seven points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block in 13 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks. He appeared in three games for Indiana, averaging 6.3 points in 11.3 minutes, before being waived on November 6.
Returning to the Windy City Bulls on November 9, 2025, McClung rediscovered his scoring touch, highlighted by a 54-point outburst against the College Park Skyhawks on March 10, 2026. He set the G League’s all-time scoring record two weeks later and was named the 2025–26 G League MVP, signaling that his best basketball may still be ahead.
