Jared McCain is the first rookie in NBA history to have a 3.7 million following on TikTok and paint his nails, so he knew coming into the league he would get trolled.
The 76ers guard admitted it was actually an NBA player that inspired him to start painting his nails.
“It started in COVID. That’s when I first started,” McCain said on Podcast P with Paul George. “Jordan Clarkson was the first person I see get their nails like a different color and then I just started doing it. I played well with them on and I was like, let me just keep it going. I did it myself.
“The first color I did was lavender, came downstairs, mom and dad look at me a little crazy — wasn’t the best reaction. My parents are a little old, so definitely don’t rock with that, but they support it now. [My dad] definitely had some questions, but he got used to it.”
Although nail-painting isn’t very common in the NBA or in any US-based male sports, McCain was a little shocked at people’s reactions.
“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, it’s either insecure about themselves or just projecting. … But when they trying to overshadow my hard work in basketball just by saying I’m just the TikTok and the nails, that’s when I hate it. But it’s something you got to live with.”
Yes, there are plenty of online trolls that bully McCain for his choices, but for every troll he has loyal supporters.
Around the time of the NBA Draft, which he was selected as the No. 16 overall pick, a dance of his went viral and thousands of people showed their support for him.
Jared McCain posted on TikTok throughout high school and college and now he’s been drafted to the 76ers and people are doing his dance all over TikTok and it’s really wholesome pic.twitter.com/6WRVfkfl1e
— Jules Terpak (@julesterpak) June 30, 2024
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