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Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts after scoring against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

76ers' Jared McCain Reflects on Relationship With Joel Embiid

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Declan Harris | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 5:18 PM ET

When the Philadelphia 76ers' season got underway in October 2024, it appeared that things would be going great, but almost immediately, the cracks started to show as key players started to miss games, one of which was Paul George. Given the absence of the 34-year-old in the starting lineup, Sixers' head coach Nick Nurse had to look elsewhere for someone to fill in, which eventually led him to Jared McCain.

McCain would get off to an electric start in the Wells Fargo Center, averaging 15.3 points per night on 46 percent shooting from the field. Easily, the highlight of his season would come against the eventual Eastern Conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who he dropped 34 points against as he drained six shots from beyond the arc.

McCain's strong start to his rookie campaign would be ended abruptly when he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left leg, which would ultimately put him out for the rest of the season. While it may have made some players distraught to have their seasons come to an end so rapidly, McCain didn't fall into this category, as he was still in attendance for plenty of Sixers' games and was even able to form a bond with Joel Embiid.

"I think a lot with Joe [Embiid], you see everything and he's such a good dude, getting to know him when I was injured, talking to him on the bench, like just a good dude," explained McCain. " [Embiid] helped me through my injury, talked to me, texted me, just helped me a lot on and off the court.

If there is a player on Philadelphia that could talk about the recovery process, it would be Embiid, who has had a long history of injuries since getting selected by the Sixers back in the 2014 NBA Draft. This last season would be yet another year that was cut short due to an injury for the Cameroonian superstar, as he continued to struggle with his left knee, which he had injured in the year prior.

This most recent injury bug-bitten season subjected Embiid to a new level of criticism from the Philadelphia faithful, which McCain doesn't fully understand as he knows his teammate just wants to get back out on the court."

"I think there's a lot of misunderstanding with everything he gets, but like, I have got nothing but respect for him, just the way he handles everything," said the 21-year-old. "I know he wants to play as much as everybody else, so I'm excited to get out there, back with him. It's been really cool to get to know him throughout this injury process."