The Philadelphia 76ers used their 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Duke University sharpshooter Jared McCain back in late June.
Not every average first-round draft pick is necessarily a well-known name before they play their first NBA game, but McCain isn’t your average first-rounder. Basketball fans may know him for his 40% three-point percentage at Duke, but a wide audience knows him as TikTok creator that dances for millions of followers with hundred of millions of likes across his videos.
Most people can keep the two separate, reasonably so. (I mean, really, I think everyone has a hobby or two outside of their employment, but I digress.) For some, however, there’s been an aggressive contingent of hate and negativity aimed at McCain for seemingly everything— except for what he actually does on the basketball court.
But McCain is ready to handle it all and keep the focus on basketball. In a recent episode of “Podcast P with Paul George”, the rookie sat down with his new teammate and discussed that vitriol he deals with as well as his draft experience, his goals for the upcoming season, how he somewhat expected to be a Sacramento King by now, and more.
The full episode is available below:
Here’s some of the highlights.
On handling criticism and negativity from media, fans
“At first, it was tough. I was like, ‘I’m trying to spread positivity’, and then people are hating, saying everything to me at games. It was crazy. But at a certain point I’m just like they’re either insecure about themselves or projecting something that maybe they’re hiding about themselves. And they’re just trying to throw an opinion out there to get a reaction out of you, that’s all they want is a reaction. I gotta tell my parents, like they want to respond more than I do, and I gotta tell them ‘no, just chill. Just chill. It’s alright.’”
“You get used to it at a certain point. I didn’t really like how just people talk about the nails, the TikToks, more than basketball. You know, I’ve done basketball since I was 3 years old. I do this stuff on the side, but obviously, that’s got me where I’m at today, but when they try and overshadow like my hard work in basketball just by saying ‘the Tiktoks’ or ‘the nails’, that’s when I hate it. But it’s something you got to live with.”
On his pre-draft interview with the Sixers
“Their interview probably went the most chill, I felt. Like, it was just very simple questions. Very simple questions. Nothing too crazy. I think it was just simple—family, how I grew up, basketball, what I like outside of basketball.”
On his experience at the draft
“I’m struggling because I’m already nervous. I’m anxious. And then coffee with nothing in my stomach, I was struggling. But I’m still super excited. The draft’s going by and it gets to like my range and I’m like ‘damn, this is about to happen’. My hands getting sweaty. I’m just, I don’t even know what I’m thinking, to be honest. And then finally after Miami picks it’s then ‘Philly’s pick is in’. My agent looks at me and he’s like ‘we’re going to Philly’. And I was like ‘this is crazy. This is insane!’ And I’m trying to keep it in before I get drafted, but I’m like moving. And after that it’s a blur. Adam Silver walks out, says my name. I get to hug my brother, the moment I visualized like for a whole year straight. It was a dream come true.”
“And I really, one thing I was trying to not mess up is the handshake or dap up with Adam Silver. I was kind of scared about that.” [laughs]
On Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid
“Maxey—I worked out with him this morning. I went golfing with him. I got to meet Maxey more, but I haven’t had any interaction with Joel. I’m a little nervous for that one.”
Paul George laughed and replied “you’ll f-ck with Joel. Joel is a big kid like, Joel a big kid. You’ll f-ck with Joel,” before attempting an Embiid impression that is, let’s say, less than impressive (39:05 timestamp for anyone curious).
On what he brings to the Sixers
“Shooting’s been my biggest, probably most-translatable skill to the NBA. So obviously using that to create space for others. Be a spacer for Maxey, for [Paul George], for Joel. Like just to be out there on the court and be a threat. Obviously using that for long closeouts, they have to close out short to me or close out as close as possible to me, I can use that as a drive. But just someone who’s gonna work hard and just be a team player, like make the right reads. Smart IQ. I’m just excited to learn even more. But I think the shooting is obviously gonna be the biggest.”
On his goals for his rookie season
“There’s obviously goals that are obtainable. Like, if you reach a certain point, you get this. Rookie of the Year. Obviously, I want to win that. But the ones for me that I think are gonna determine if it was a successful season is, did I work hard? Was I present? Am I still humble? And am I just living with gratitude? Am I not going too high or too low? Did I stay even keel? I think those are the only ones that I just kind of live by throughout my whole life, so those will always be at the top of my goal board. But obviously, like, Rookie of the Year, Rookie of the Month, just simple things like that.
LeagueFits Rookie of the Year, something like that.” [laughs]
On when he realized he had a real chance at being drafted into the NBA
“It still feels like a dream to me now. Even just being here, I’m like, ‘this is Paul George! This is crazy. I’ve watched him growing up my whole life.’”
“I got to college, you know, I was able to start. So I did well in the summer. And then going in the beginning part, I’m like, dang. I was struggling. It was tough to get it going. And I was like, you know, ‘I’m a freshman, it’s fine. I’ll come back another year.’ Throughout the whole season, it was always a goal. Like, ‘I wanna be one and done. I wanna be the best.’ But I was trying to be as present as possible and just like, just play as hard as I can.
So it really only became like, ‘wow, like I could really go to the NBA’ probably like February, like after Florida State game. I was like, ‘OK, it’s becoming way ... it’s just easier.’ But even then, on draft night, I’m like, damn, this is insane. Everywhere I go, man, I’m so blessed. Everywhere I go, I wake up every morning just grateful that I’m in this position. So every day it feels like a dream, but probably mid throughout my Duke season, I was like, ‘I could do this’.”
On thinking the Sacramento Kings (his hometown team) would draft him with the 13th overall pick
“Definitely. I definitely did. That was actually my only—I did one, 1-on-1 or 1-on-0 workout. It was my last workout. It wasn’t my best workout, but maybe that’s why. But yeah, I actually did think I was going there. I mean, a lot of places—my agent tells me not to get like too attached to a team—but you kind of think to yourself like ‘oh, I could see myself here. They seem like they like me’.”
“But yeah, I did think I was going to the Kings at one point.”
On continuing to work with a psychologist as he transitions into the NBA
“Yeah, definitely. I mean, I’ve worked with him since Duke and I work with him now. I talked to him a few weeks ago for Summer League. He always sends me like little reminders before games. I’ll definitely keep that. It’s something that just helps my mental health and if my mind isn’t right, then I’m not gonna play right. So I’ve always been big on just keeping good mental health balance of the off-court stuff and on-court stuff so I can play my best.”
