Lakers’ LeBron James Has High Praise for Sixers' Mac McClung

Mac McClung was nearly flawless in the NBA’s 2023 Slam Dunk Competition. Donning his Philadelphia 76ers threads for the first time, McClung put on for the organization just a few days after inking a two-way deal with the team. Plenty of people have offered praise to McClung after Saturday’s performance, and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was the latest to praise McClung.

“He solidified himself as probably one of the greatest slam dunk competitors that we've had in the history of the game,” James told reporters following Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game.

That is quite the comment coming from the NBA’s All-Time scoring leader.

McClung was already well-known for his hops going into Saturday’s dunk contest since he had become a viral sensation in the past, which is something that Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry acknowledged while praising McClung on Saturday night.

But the young guard never got to put his dunking on display in front of a crowd like that in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. After spending last season and the first half of this season primarily in the NBA G League, McClung had an opportunity to make a name for himself on a larger stage.

The Sixers’ two-way guard didn’t disappoint. With a composite score of 99.8 in the first round, McClung was one of two players to advance to the Slam Dunk Contest Final. In the second round, he was perfect with 10s across the board both times.

By beating Trey Murphy III, McClung was crowned the champion, and he became the first of eight players in 76ers’ history to win the Slam Dunk competition.

Not only did McClung take home the trophy and a solid paycheck for his win, but he also received significant praise from current stars like James and Curry, along with former stars and legendary players such as Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.