Jared McCain was selected 16th overall in the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday. The guard will head north of Durham, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. In his lone freshman season at Duke, McCain averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals while playing 31.6 minutes per game.
Despite being undersized (six-foot-two) Jared McCain was a first-round pick, simply based on his elite shooting skills. He made 46.2% of his shots from the field, including 41.4% from beyond the arc.
Besides his on-court excellence, McCain is also a popular TikToker whose post-game dance videos went quite viral on the internet, which reacted to the draft news with memes on X.
Ten funniest memes as Jared McCain gets drafted as No. 16 pick in 2024 NBA draft
#10 An unserious generation
Jared McCain was often criticized for making TikTok videos, as people didn't see that as the trait of a serious player. The guard, though, wasn't too bothered by that. And now, ESPN made a compilation of the videos! Love him or hate him, his dance skills are quite good.
#9 Headed to Philly, finally!
The young guard has always been a top-10 pick, but his lack of athleticism and size pushed him down the draft order. Sixers President Daryl Morey said (via The Philadelphia Enquirer) in the presser post-draft:
"As everyone says, we were pretty surprised (McCain) was there. He is pretty special for a guy to get sort of in the middle of the first round. I don’t want to put any tough expectations on him, but we really think this guy’s going to be a 76er for a very long time.”
#8 Can you step up??
Despite the memes, Jared McCain is a serious player who gets things done on the court. Off-court is where his goofiness shines, through.
#7 Full-time hooper, part-time dancer
Again, X is dramatic, and while the tweet may not become a reality, expect some cool celebratory dance moves from McCain.
#6 Playoff curse
The Sixers have a history of choking in the playoffs. McCain also doesn't have the best record with play-offs, so it will be interesting to see how things play out.
#5 The Gen Z meet-up
Besides Jared McCain, Tyrese Maxey, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Terquavion Smith form the Gen Z squad in the Sixers roster. It will be interesting to see of they come together for McCain's dance videos.
#4 Was it the best choice?
The Sixers needed a wing to better help their prospects in the upcoming season. However, Morey explained that the team chose to get the nest pick available at 16 rather than go for a wing. (Twitter video attached in the reference box)
#3 Unserious rookie vs serious veteran
Besides the Gen Z squad, including Joel Embiid in one of his videos, is a sure way of going viral. How involved Embiid would be is still unknown.
#2 Break a leg? Not literally though...
The injury-prone Joel Embiid busting a few moves could be disastrous. What do you think? Let's know in the comments section.
#1 He's a goofball people!!
Sportspersons are often expected to fit a mould. While it may be expected from McCain as well, he's sure to win people over, just like he did at Duke.
What do you think of the Philadelphia 76ers adding Jared McCain to the roster? Let's know in the comments section below:
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