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Sixers’ Jared McCain opens up on his reaction season ending injury
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain had gotten off to a terrific start in his maiden NBA season. The No. 16 pick of the 2024 draft was averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 38.3% from deep in 23 games before suffering a lateral tear in his left meniscus. He underwent surgery is now out for the season.
It is tough for him to go through as he was on his way to checking off a lot of boxes. He is a goal-oriented person and had his eyes on winning the Rookie of the Year award and was the clear frontrunner when considering his production and how much he was contributing on the floor. All of it has been a mental challenge for the young man out of Duke and it was hard to even watch basketball.
“I knew right away that the mental side was probably gonna be the hardest part of it so I definitely took some time away to—I couldn’t—it was hard to watch it a little bit,” McCain said on Tuesday. “You just get frustrated at times. Like, ‘Why me?’ ‘Why did this happen?’, but talking to my family, people around me, I just know it’s part of my process and I know I’m gonna come back even better. It’s all part of the plan and I’m excited that I get to learn new things. I get to watch it from a different perspective and just try to find the good in every situation.”
It was a peculiar situation for McCain when considering the injury. It happened back on Dec. 13 in a matchup with the Indiana Pacers at home. The rookie had taken a hard fall and it appeared that he had hit his head, but in fact, it was his knee.
“When I first fell, I thought it was my head, but it really wasn’t,” McCain explained. “I didn’t really feel much. When I got up, it was my knee that was bothering me, and when I went back for the concussion tests, I was good, and when I came back out for the game, a couple plays down, I was guarding (Pascal) Siakam and I think it was a post-up. I was like ‘Wow, he could easily score on me if he just backs me down. My knee is really hurting me’ and it was towards the end of the game. I told the medical staff, I kinda felt weird.”
It was at that moment when McCain knew something was off. He then let the medical staff know and that is when the tests revealed the meniscus tear.
“The next day is when I felt swollen and I was like, limping,” McCain added. “I need to tell somebody immediately so I told them, got the MRI and everything, and I didn’t think much of it to be honest. I thought it was something more minor. My agent then called me and it was a very sad tone and I was like ‘Oh goodness. This is not good.’ And they told me. It was hard. I started crying. It was very tough to hear like how long I’d be out for and to know that I worked so hard to be in the NBA and now it gets taken away from me so quick so it was tough. Especially, that night.”
After that, it was all about surgery. The young guard had to get the issue fixed right away and McCain went under the knife in order to get everything done to fix the problem.
“Then surgery—I don’t like needles and I don’t like anything medical-wise so I didn’t wanna hear what was wrong with me. Anything,” he stated. “I just wanted them to do it. Get it over with and luckily, I’m good now and I got a little cane with me so just taking it step-by-step.”
Despite him missing so much time, McCain was named to the Rising Stars Challenge. At least he was able to check off one goal on his list.
“My agent had texted me,” McCain smiled. “He texted me a picture of the names and it’s, obviously, been one of my goals to be in that game, and I didn’t know if I was eligible or not to be in that game, but it was really cool to be named that in the games I played in.”
McCain will now look to get healthy and prepare for the 2025-26 season.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Jared McCain recently suffered a season-ending injury that has left fans and teammates devastated. In a recent interview, McCain opened up about his reaction to the news and how he plans to bounce back stronger than ever.
“I was devastated when I found out that my season was over due to this injury,” McCain said. “Basketball is not just a game to me, it’s my passion and my livelihood. But I refuse to let this setback define me. I am determined to come back even stronger next season.”
McCain went on to express his gratitude for the support he has received from his teammates, coaches, and fans during this difficult time. “The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming and I am truly grateful for it,” he said. “I know that with the help of my support system, I will be able to overcome this challenge and come back better than ever.”
Although it is disappointing to see McCain’s season cut short, his positive attitude and determination to overcome this setback are truly inspiring. Sixers fans can rest assured that McCain will be back on the court in no time, ready to make an impact once again.
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