"Hopefully I meet Steph Curry"- Sixers rookie Jared McCain jokes about his inner fan after making it to 2025 All-Star weekend 

Soon after landing in San Francisco to attend the All-Star Weekend in Chase Center, Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain expressed excitement for the event and the possibility of meeting Steph Curry. In a video shared by the Sixers on X (formerly Twitter), McCain was at the baggage claim section when he shared that it was his first time attending the All-Star Weekend:

"We just made it to All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, excited for the weekend, don't know what's going to happen, first time, but hopefully I meet Curry," McCain said.

Jared McCain finished his rookie season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in early December. The 16th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft was likely to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge of the All-Star Weekend had it not been for his injury.

McCain had an impressive start to his career, as he was being considered a frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year honors. He was averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Sixers while shooting 46.0% in the 23 games he played in before the injury.

Jared McCain lists Steph Curry as his favorite player while listing bucket list checks for the All-Star Weekend

Before the All-Star Weekend kicks off, Jared McCain expressed his excitement by sharing what he's most looking forward to during the event. Among the various activities he mentioned, McCain highlighted his eagerness to meet his favorite player, Stephen Curry:

"Definitely just the dunk contest, three-point contest," Jared McCain said. "We're in the Bay so I do want to meet Curry. I didn't get to come on the road trip when we played them out here so hopefully I get to meet him."

Steph Curry is set to play in his 11th All-Star Game this weekend in his home ground. However, the game will be different this year as it will take on the format of a tournament in an attempt to make it more competitive.

Speaking to The San Francisco Standard earlier this month, Curry shared that he played a part in the change of format after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver asked him for input last summer. He also suggested shortening the game and creating scenarios that may foster competitiveness among the players.

“He didn’t have any ideas at that time, and my advice was it’s not a bad thing to change it up entirely and try something new, knowing you can always come back to the traditional format if whatever you decide doesn’t work,” Steph Curry said.

The league designed a four-team format for the All-Star Game this season with eight players per team. A total of three games will be played and each game will be won by the first team to score 40 points.