For Nate Dougherty, being at the recent NBA All-Star Dunk Competition in Utah may have been his most surreal life moment.

It proved to be the current pinnacle for a sport he has always loved.

“I have been watching the NBA since I was a little kid,” recalled the former Palmerton basketball standout. “This was my first real experience with it, and it was at the highest level.

“It certainly was exciting, and I sometimes had to stop and take it all in. I was grateful and happy to be there, and wanted to help out in any way I could.

“It was a blessing.”

Dougherty worked with former Moravian College teammate Danny Cooper to help train Sixers and G-League second-year guard Mac McClung to win the Slam Dunk Contest.

It has been a two-year-plus process for Dougherty and Cooper, who have worked with high school, collegiate, and professional basketball standouts to help hone their skills.

Dougherty, who had a 3.60 grade-point average, recently was selected to the 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Men’s Basketball Team for NCAA Division III schools. He has an undergraduate degree in Sports Management, and is pursuing a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Moravian.

This past year, he saw action in 20 games with one start this winter, and contributed 44 points, 26 rebounds, 17 assists, seven three-pointers and six steals. In 76 career contests with 33 starts, Dougherty had 447 points, 164 rebounds, 89 assists, 60 three-pointers, 36 steals and 10 blocked shots. He’s been a member of the Moravian Dean’s Honors List five times, and will be a three-time member of the Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll.

Dougherty - who finished playing his senior season at Moravian this winter - discovered Cooper had interned with renowned skills trainer Drew Hanlen in 2021. He would be on the road for a potential future career.

Roughly a year ago, Dougherty decided to see what was involved with the skills training business. He traveled with Cooper to McClung’s hometown of Gate City, Virginia, before he embarked to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas for an 11-day stay. McClung was a member of the Golden State Warriors.

Upon his release from the Warriors, McClung signed with the Sixers G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. Dougherty and Cooper traveled there more than 10 times to work with him. The trio also worked together at Moravian’s Johnston’s Hall.

“I asked Danny if I could go along,” said Dougherty, who was a Sports Management major. “Gate City is a small town, about 1,600 people. Being a part of the NBA Summer League was great. It was a whirlwind experience, but it was a lot of fun.

“When you’re in a situation like these, you learn a lot of life lessons. It is just so gratifying to be part of this. Thanks to Danny, I believe I can be part of this for a long time.

Cooper - who is a former Plymouth-Whitemarsh standout and was a graduate student this past season - has always had a passion for the game. He was determined to take the initial steps to begin a career in sports as an entrepreneur.

Unlike Dougherty, Cooper spent his first two years at Penn State before he transferred to Moravian. He has attained a degree in Sports Management.

He saw a pathway by attending a workshop sponsored by Hanlen in Illinois. Cooper soon created “Danny Cooper Basketball,” which has a YouTube channel under the title.

“I will love basketball forever,” said Cooper. “I know I had to find a way to make money in sports. I wanted to try and train players.

“I saw where Hanlen had a workshop in Illinois, and I decided to go out there. I went out there for two or three days, and told Hanlen I would help him for free.”

Something clicked for him, and Cooper returned to the Philadelphia area. It was there that he met McClung, and a relationship blossomed.

“It has been great working with him,” said Cooper. “I met (McClung) at the pre-draft workouts. We had a good connection right from the start, and he really has appreciated what Nate and I have done with him.”

Cooper met Dougherty during his junior year at Moravian, and like McClung, there was an instant connection with each other.

“We met during basketball, and we became super close,” said Cooper. “Nate asked me if he could come along, and I was really happy for him to join me. We really have worked well together, and we feed off each other.”

Along with McClung, Cooper has worked with NBA stars Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, and Tyler Herro. He also has been working with Bucknell’s Jack Forrest and Villanova’s Brendan Hassan, along with other Philadelphia area high school players.

Even though the foundation has been poured, both Cooper and Dougherty realize it will be a process. However, it has been a gratifying experience, and one they hope can keep expanding.

“It is a day-to-day thing,” stated Cooper. “We’ll be busy during the summer. We just keep trying to make as many contacts as we can. We have a good relationship with former Lakers’ head coach Frank Vogel, who is a real student of the game.

“It has been fantastic, and we’ll be working more with NCAA athletes and WNBA players,” added Dougherty. “We like the direction we are headed with this right now. We’re helping these athletes learn more about the game, and that can help other people as well.

“We want to do what we can to help anyone involved with the game get better.”