When Jared McCain makes his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers later this month, the Duke alum says having his nails painted is a non-negotiable.
The 20-year-old basketball star — who built a strong fanbase on TikTok as a high schooler in Corona, Calif., before making a name for himself in the basketball world — exclusively tells PEOPLE that he’s planning to paint his nails.
“That’s a necessity for me, to feel myself, to be myself,” McCain adds, noting that he doesn’t know which color yet, but is leaning towards the Sixers’ signature red, white and blue. “Probably just the team colors, but definitely it’s a necessity for me,” he says.
The rookie has more than 3.7 million followers on TikTok, where he showcases his outgoing personality and positive attitude through funny videos and trending dance routines.
But as he gets ready to play in the NBA — for a team whose fans are often unforgiving — McCain tells PEOPLE that his experience with internet fame has prepared him for the bright lights of Philadelphia and potential criticism from basketball fans who disapprove of his painted nails — not unlike the scrutiny NFL rookie Caleb Williams has faced.
“As a professional athlete, there’s so much online that you can look at, or on TV, and I think taking care of my mental health has been key for me for a long time,” says McCain. “I think getting a head start for me, when I was in high school, has helped me keep up positive mindset, be grateful for everything I have, and I think that’s helped me to be where I’m at today.”
Jared McCain #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Mitchell Leff/Getty
The Sixers newcomer — who announced his new partnership with Lyft to announce its new Price Lock feature on Oct. 1 — has also been working with a sports psychologist.
“He knows pretty much everything, so I think it’s great to have someone to just bounce ideas off of, and that’s something I’ve been doing before college,” McCain says about his biweekly therapy.
McCain says he’ll also continue his routine of journaling, meditating, yoga and visualization when he plays this NBA season. “Everything that I think will help me keep a sane mind in the NBA, I’m definitely going to try and keep doing,” he adds.
Jared McCain reading in a Lyft.
Courtesy of Lyft
McCain credits his mother, Jina McCain, for his positive mindset. “I think being with my parents, my mom is really just a positive person, so I think I take after that,” he says, adding that his parents moved less than a half-mile away from his new home in Philadelphia after he was drafted.
“It’s perfect. My mom’s able to cook me some home-cooked meals and we’ve got my dog Teddy out here, so it’s a great vibe to just have some family,” says McCain, whose older brother Jayce McCain works as a graduate assistant at Duke.
The transition to Philadelphia was an easy one for McCain, despite not having a car in the city for nearly the first month. “I was moving in, and the practice facility is in New Jersey, but I’m living in Philly, so I was struggling,” says McCain, who took Lyft rides to and from practice until he was able to get his car out to the city.
“But Lyft made it super easy to just go downstairs from the hotel or wherever I was at, and just be able to leave the place and get there. It was so easy,” he says.
With the Sixers’ first preseason game — a road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 11 — quickly approaching, McCain says he’s “pretty much settled” in his new home in Philadelphia. “I do need some night stands and a desk, but we got a bed and a couch, so that’s all I need,” says McCain.
