Jared McCain’s TikTok account has grown throughout his college career at Duke, but the way the young point guard regularly moves and grooves on the social media app has already fueled criticism from NBA fans.
On Wednesday night, the 76ers selected McCain with the No. 16 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Leading up to the selection, and after in celebration, McCain danced his way through the night in several TikTok videos, including three that featured what he deemed “the best dance out” on the app to BlackMayo’s “Jus’ Know.”
One of the dances included the Piston’s No. 5 selection Ron Holland, and later the 76ers posted a video of McCain showing off his moves while wearing his new team hat.
He also posted a reaction video seemingly from his seat at the draft, with his head bobbing to the beat of the music with a smile.
“Im a Philadelphia 76er😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁,” the caption reads.
However, after the pick, critics began to poke fun at McCain, saying the 76ers, and especially Joel Embiid, would not be able to take him seriously given his online personality.
“Joel Embiid: this is our year to beat the Celtics let’s lock in this summer. Jared McCain: [TikTok dancing],” one X user posted.
In a similar format, Barstool Sports wrote on a post featuring a photo of a worker on a bench with their head down in exhaustion, “Joel Embiid after Jared McCain makes him do a Tik Tok dance after playing 40 minutes.”
Another read, “Joel Embiid: “Jared get back on defense. Jared McCain: [Tiktok dancing],” around his hotel room in a shower cap.
His social media presence, which saw a spike due to NIL benefits in college, will be a way to jab at the rookie in Philadelphia moving forward.
McCain, 20, was only at Duke for his freshman year before declaring for the draft.
He averaged 14.3 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and helped propel the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight last season.
He is projected to be a spark off the bench for Philadelphia, who will be looking to see some new firepower in their backcourt to pair with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in its pursuit of a championship.
The 76ers have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals since their championship loss to the Lakers in 2001.
