• Loading stock data...
Monday, July 7, 2025

Star Is Born: Mac McClung Driving Ticket Sales For His G League Team

  • Sales up five times daily average since winning Slam Dunk Contest.
  • Philadelphia 76ers deluged with hundreds of interview requests.
Mac McClung is helping ticket sales soar for his G-League team.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports.

Mac McClung’s breakout performance at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest is generating a business boost for the Philadelphia 76ers’ G League team: the Delaware Blue Coats.

Tickets sales are up five times the daily average since McClung won Saturday’s night’s contest, according to Blue Coats spokesman Alex Yoh.

Anticipation is building for tonight’s home game vs. the Motor City Cruise at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. The arena seats 2,500 fans for home games. Ticket prices for tonight’s game range from $11 to $64. 

Meanwhile, the Blue Coats and 76ers have been deluged with interview requests for the 24-year-old McClung from outlets ranging from ESPN to CNN. The fresh-faced point guard was the first G League player to participate in, much less win, the Slam Dunk Contest.

“My biggest motto is to act in love — and the world will assist you,” McClung told ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in an interview Tuesday. “So whatever you want to do, you can do it.”

The former Georgetown Hoya and Texas Tech Red Raider was already a YouTube sensation in high school due to his highlight reels. 

No less than TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal said McClung “saved” the dunk contest. His bravura performance gave the struggling event a much-needed shot in the arm.

  • The NBA says Saturday’s Slam-Dunk contest was the most-viewed ever. His performance has racked up more than 520 million video views, including a half billion in the first 12 hours alone.
  • McClung is now up to 1.1 million followers on Instagram. He added 250,000 in the first 48 hours since winning the contest. He also signed a deal with Puma.
  • He’s received hundreds of interview requests. His phone still has 1,000 unread text messages.

McClung won the Dunk contest wearing a 76ers, not a Blue Coats, jersey. He’s on a two-way deal with the NBA franchise, meaning the 76ers can call him up at any time. Given the attention he’s getting, that opportunity could be coming soon.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Jul 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) heads to the dugout prior to the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.

MLB Changes Are ‘Showing Great Results’: Former CFO

Big stars playing in major markets “make a real difference.”
July 2, 2025

NHL to Rejoin Olympic Ice in Milan—and NBC Set to Cash In

NHL players last competed in the Olympics in 2014.
Michael Johnson
July 3, 2025

Grand Slam Track Still Owes Athletes $13 Million: Source

The new track league hasn’t paid athletes in full yet.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Sophie Cunningham
July 2, 2025

WNBA Expansion Decisions Show League Prioritizes North, NBA Ties

One player ripped the league for its geographic choices.
exclusive
July 2, 2025

PGA Tour Slashes FedEx Cup Winner Pay From $25M to $10M

The FedExCup is reworking how it distributes its bonus money.
Red Panda
July 2, 2025

Red Panda Hospitalized After WNBA Halftime Fall

The beloved performer was taken off the court in a wheelchair.
July 1, 2025

WNBA Roster Limits Under Fire After Vanloo’s Valkyries Release

Kaitlyn Chen remains on the Valkyries roster.