What is Mac McClung’s ethnicity? Exploring former Slam Dunk Contest champion’s background

Mac McClung is the defending champion of the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest after winning the contest's 2023 edition. He currently plays professional basketball for the Osceola Magic, an NBA G League team affiliated with the Orlando Magic.

Mac McClung was born on January 6, 1999, to Marcus McClung and his wife Lenoir McClung. He grew up in Virginia and is an American hailing from a white ethnicity.

Mac's father, Marcus McClung, was a collegiate football player who did not continue to play sports afterward. Instead, he returned to Scott County, Virginia, to work for the Commonwealth Attorney.

His mother, Lenoir McClung, was a college cheerleader and worked at Gate City High School as a teaching driver. Mac has three siblings, Anna, Noah and Cam McClung. Anna McClung, his older sister, played soccer in high school and went on to play college soccer at Florida State and Tennessee.

Mac McClung attended Gate City High School where he started dunking as a sophomore. During his high school career, McClung garnered various accolades to his name. Labeled "One of the nation’s most exciting players" by MaxPreps, McClung scored a career-high 64 points in a loss as a junior. He also surpassed Allen Iverson’s single-season scoring record with a 948-point total in 25 games.

For college, McClung initially joined Georgetown University in Washington. There he averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and two assists in his freshman year. He led the Big East Conference in scoring and was selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team.

Mac McClung declared for the 2020 NBA draft but eventually withdrew himself. He then transferred to Texas Tech where he played a year before declaring for the NBA draft again in 2021.

Mac McClung's NBA career timeline

Mac McClung went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft and signed with the LA Lakers in August 2021. He was later waived by the team after which Mac signed with the LA Lakers' G-League team, the South Bay Lakers.

In December 2021, McClung signed a 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls where he played one game out of the eight he was present for. He was then assigned to the Bulls’ G-League team, the Windy City Bulls.

Named 2021-22 G-League Rookie of the Year, McClung was re-acquired by the South Bay Lakers after his 10-day contract was over with the Bulls.

In April 2022, Mac signed a two-way contract with the LA Lakers. After being declined his qualifying $1.64 million option by the team, he ended up being a restricted free agent. McClung then played for both the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 Summer League.

Following that, he signed a one-year non-guaranteed contract with the Warriors in July 2022 and was later released by the team in October.

For the 2022–23 season, McClung signed with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Philadelphia 76ers' G-League. Here, McClung was invited to compete in the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk contest, making him the first G-League player to participate and win the contest.

He ended the 2022-23 season playing two games with the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 20 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and collecting nine assists in the Sixers’ season-ending victory against Brooklyn.

In August 2023, he signed with the Orlando Magic but was waived to their G-league team, the Osceola Magic. Currently, he represents the Osceola Magic in the NBA G-league.

Mac McClung will seek to defend his title this year against Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat, and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks.