Sixers fans showed love to Jared McCain, but they still hate that he was traded: ‘It hurts’

There was no video tribute or any acknowledgement on the scoreboard.

After all, Jared McCain only played 60 games for the 76ers, which did not even amount to a full NBA season. But still, on Monday, in his return to Philly for the first time since he was traded to Oklahoma City at the deadline, fans wore his jersey and brought signs to celebrate McCain’s time with the team.

“Honestly, as mad as I am that he’s not on our team anymore, he’s so happy right now, and he’s been doing so well,” said Kyler St. Phard, who was holding a sign of Spongebob’s Gary the Snail with McCain’s face photoshopped over it. “I’m not a hater, I’m a lover. I think that was definitely one of the worst trades the Sixers could have made, but I love that he’s getting minutes and putting up big numbers every night, even though he’s on a team full of stars.”

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McCain quickly grew a huge fanbase in Philly as he got off to a blistering start to his rookie season, earning Rookie of the Month honors in his first month in the league.

But what stood out most to many of McCain’s fans was his personality and the joy he played with on the court. As VJ Edgecombe said postgame, “If you don’t bond with Jared, something might be wrong with you.”

“I love his personality, and I love how he’s so confident, and he’s so nonchalant,” said 14-year-old Gianni Reyes, who waited after the game ended and got his jersey signed by McCain.

Since high school, McCain has been dancing and sharing his life on TikTok, earning a legion of new fans and a few haters.

The energy and passion that McCain brings to his online presence shows on the court. On Monday, after sinking two three-pointers on his first two touches, McCain emphatically celebrated and earned loud cheers from the crowd.

“He’s got no fear when it comes to getting it out to the basket, and he plays with his heart on the sleeve every game,” Mike Fontaine, a Northeast Philly resident, said.

Fontaine said that dealing McCain was a big loss for the Sixers’ future, and he was concerned about the team’s ability to shoot.

Reyes, like St. Phard, was happy to see McCain thriving, even if it had to come in another uniform.

“I was really sad,” Reyes said of his reaction to the trade. “I cried a little bit, but then I was happy, because he’s on a better team.”

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There may have been no official tribute to McCain at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday, but the fans cheered loudly when he first entered the game, and for every bucket he made. McCain ended the game with 13 points in 25 minutes off the bench, including three three-pointers.

He might not be a Sixer anymore, but he’s still a fan favorite in Philadelphia.

“Yeah, it hurts, but I know he’s always gonna have love for the city, and I hope he knows that the city is always gonna love him,” St. Phard said.