TikTok Star Drafted into the NBA
We live in a time when social media seems to be everything. Now, a TikTok star has been drafted into the NBA. But, donāt worry. Itās not like this is just any random TikTok star. This guy actually has the chops on the court, and you could say TikTok is his side gig.
Viral TikTok Star Drafted in the NBA
The 2024 NBA Draft wrapped up this week, and one guy that was on the big stage was former Duke basketball player Jared McCain. At Duke, he had such an impressive college career that he was expected to go in the first round of the NBA Draft, and he did. The Philadelphia 76ers picked McCain as their No. 16 pick. After getting chosen, he talked about his time at Duke, saying, āAt Duke, itās a big platform in college.ā He added in a virtual press conference after being selected by Philadelphia, āObviously that comes with a lot of hate and a lot of scrutiny wherever you go, but I think thatās prepared me for where Iām at, especially with Philly. So I think Iām ready for it.ā
McCain also happens to have nearly 3 million TikTok followers. Heās had a large following for years, and so far, it hasnāt gotten in the way of his basketball at all. So, if youāre a 76ers fan, I wouldnāt be worried about his TikTok stardom making him slack on the court. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Duke menās basketball coach Jon Scheyer said he was ready to have āthe TikTok talkā with him, if McCain became distracted. But, that need never arose. āIt was literally never a distraction,ā Scheyer said. āOnce youāre around him, you realize heās one of the few, maybe ever, to be able to handle both [basketball and social media] and still be all the way into everything that it takes to be a successful basketball player.ā
Itās worth nothing that even though McCain is shorter than many in the NBA these days, thatās never been an issue for him. āStarting with high school, Iāve always been smaller or just average-sized,ā McCain said during the virtual press conference after the NBA Draft. āBeing 6-3 and labeled as small, itās always funny when I hear thatā¦ Iām just excited to continue to work on that and find ways to impact winning without being 6-9.ā If you want to check out McCainās TikTok page, this is the spot. He has just a few more followers than me. Just a few.