Sixers’ Mac McClung Explains LeBron James, Steph Curry's Impact

Mac McClung has experience practicing alongside some of the NBA's best players.

Mac McClung is still working his way into the NBA. With two regular season games under his belt in the NBA with two different organizations, and several stints with multiple teams in the NBA G League, McClung is looking to maximize his next opportunity as a two-way player with the Philadelphia 76ers.

This week, McClung landed a two-way deal after the Sixers waived the rookie forward Julian Champagnie. Suddenly, McClung’s week became even more special as he was set to become a participant in the NBA’s Rising Stars Tournament and Dunk Contest.

As McClung heads into an eventful next few days in Utah, the second-year guard is fielding tons of questions about his journey up until this point. When asked about his experience playing alongside some notable NBA stars, such as Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Golden State Warriors’ Steh Curry, McClung credited the two for helping him learn the ropes in the big league.

“I think that was the craziest thing about my journey, starting off from a small town in Gate City, and then every team I've been on has like the best players of all time, arguably with LeBron and Steph Curry,” McClung told reporters on Friday. 

“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. 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.”

Since going undrafted in 2021, McClung has had stints with the Lakers, Bulls, Warriors, and now the Sixers. While his time in Golden State lasted just a couple of months in the offseason, McClung still practiced with the team, where he drew inspiration from a future Hall of Famer in Curry.

On the Lakers, McClung played in his second NBA game, appearing on the court for 22 minutes, scoring six points while draining 40 percent of his shots from the field. 

While McClung’s been a G League star through his first two NBA seasons, earning Rookie of the Year honors last year before getting a Rising Stars nod this season, the young guard is taking all of the inspiration he can get from NBA stars he’s been around and applying it in hopes of carving out a role on a main roster in the future. 

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