Steph Curry’s Twitter Reaction to Mac McClung’s Dunk Contest Win
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry has been crowned the NBA’s Three-Point Contest Champion several times throughout his legendary career. On Saturday night, Philadelphia 76ers’ two-way guard Mac McClung was named the NBA’s Slam Dunk Champion for the first time.
For the first time in Sixers' history, a member of the team wins the award. McClung just so happens to be a former member of the Golden State Warriors.
McClung’s time with the Warriors didn’t last very long, as he was waived a few months into the 2022 offseason. However, his former superstar teammate Steph Curry remembered him well as Curry took to Twitter to praise McClung for his outstanding performance in Saturday’s competition.
“Man was a viral HOH high school dunk phenom, still working his way to the League,” wrote Curry, “but lemme go get that dunk contest trophy right quick and bring it back to life!!! Unreal”
Earlier this week, McClung talked about the impact that a player like Curry has had on his career so far. As McClung has shared the court with two future Hall of Famers, Curry and LeBron James, McClung would draw inspiration from both of them.
“Being around those guys really helped me kind of get acclimated, and the nerves aren't the same anymore when you've been around your childhood heroes,” McClung told reporters on Friday ahead of the Rising Stars Game. “And it's like, I've definitely looked up to those guys, but I definitely learned a lot from them as well, just watching them. Not that I was super close with any either of them, but just learning how they work and how they prepare themselves was inspiring.”
This weekend, McClung was a standout in the NBA’s Rising Stars Tournament by scoring a team-high of ten points on Friday night. Then on Saturday, McClung was crowned the NBA’s Slam Dunk Competition. The Sixers’ sophomore has one more event to take on, as the NBA G League’s Next Up Game takes place on Sunday night.
No matter what happens then, McClung leaves Salt Lake City a success, with praise from some of the game’s greats.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
