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NBA legend-turned-TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal has made his pick for this year’s AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.
The contest, which will headline State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, will feature three NBA role players and one recently signed two-way player.
Houston Rockets forward K.J. Martin, New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III and New York Knicks center Jericho Sims have taken up three slots. Meanwhile, Philadelphia 76ers two-way guard Mac McClung will comprise the fourth slot.
None of these players are very big names, but according to O'Neal, McClung will win as he has the most to prove.
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“Since nobody in the NBA cares about the Dunk Contest, I’m going with Mac McClung,” O'Neal said during Tuesday night’s TNT broadcast.
“A guy that deserves to be in the league. He’s working hard, he plays hard. Probably a little bit undersized, nobody’s really picked him up, but the boy got them bunnies.
“What these youngsters don’t understand about the All-Star Weekend, this is the weekend where you make people say ‘ooh, I didn’t know he had that.' Mac McClung will not miss a dunk and he’s gonna come in and take over the Dunk Contest. A guy that’s not even in the NBA is gonna win the Dunk Contest,” O'Neal continued.
Mac McClung may not be a regular NBA player yet. In fact, the Sixers just signed him to a two-way deal on Tuesday. However, McClung has still proven to be an elite dunker, gaining recognition from his dunk mixtapes dating back to high school.
So while O'Neal’s choice may be surprising to casual NBA fans, most would agree that McClung has a very strong chance of winning the competition.
How has Mac McClung fared in the NBA so far?
Mac McClung hasn’t appeared in a game for Philadelphia since he was signed on Tuesday. However, he played in two NBA games for the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers last season.
During those two games, McClung averaged 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on 50.0% shooting.
In addition, in 18 games with the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League this season, McClung has been a standout. He is averaging 19.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 50.0% from 3-point range.
It remains to be seen whether McClung will be able to carve out a role in the Sixers’ rotation.
