What is Gate City? What to know about Mac McClung's hometown in Virginia

What is Gate City? What to know about Mac McClung’s hometown in Virginia

In 2023, Mac McClung took the basketball world by storm with an incredible performance in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. In the process, he introduced everyone to his hometown.

As McClung prepared to cap off his historic Dunk Contest performance, he placed his high school jersey over his 76ers threads. Across McClung’s chest was “Gate City” — two words and eight letters that will forever be associated with his exploits.

What is Gate City? While the name of McClung’s high school has been familiar to basketball fans since his days as a viral sensation, there is much more to know about the school itself and the city that it is in.

MORE: What Mac McClung needs to improve upon to make an NBA leap

What is Gate City?

Gate City is a town located in Virginia. In 2020, the town had an estimated population of around 2,000 people.

Gate City High School is the local public high school in Gate City, Va. The school was established in 1956 and its athletic teams have the nickname of Blue Devils.

McClung, who, during his high school career broke Virginia state scoring records set by Allen Iverson and JJ Redick, is the school’s most notable basketball alum.

McClung’s high school teammate Bradley Dean, who aided him in the 2023 Dunk Contest, was named South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year at Virginia-Wise and is now a junior at Miami University in Ohio.

In 2020, McClung and Dean led Gate City High School to its second-ever state championship in basketball. The school won its first state championship in 2006.

“Being from Gate City, from a young age, you’re taught the values of being humble and what matters in life,” McClung told The Sporting News of the appreciation he has for his hometown.

“Nobody cares how much money you have or how famous you are. They just care about how you treat people,” McClung added. “That’s where my drive comes from — being from a small town like that helped me shape who I am. I love giving credit to my hometown as much as I can.”

Due to popular demand, Gate City Athletics sold McClung jerseys and t-shirts after his Dunk Contest victory in 2023, with proceeds going to the athletic department and boys basketball team.