Identical to Duke’s Jared McCain, Jalen Green Feels Weird Without 1 Beauty Routine That Breaks American Stereotype

Is there a more in-form player in the NBA other than Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green at the moment? Apart from his court exploits, Green’s confidence shines through in his fashion choices. Despite being a world famous NBA athlete, Green doesn’t let masculine beauty standards faze him. His habit of wearing nail paint has made him a prime target for social media trolls. However, such trolls don’t both him. In February 2023, Green even became the brand ambassador of Machine Gun Kelly’s nail polish brand, Un/Dn Laqr. However, the fashion routine hardy blurs his court focus.

Following Alperen Sengun’s devastating ankle injury against the Sacramento Kings on 10th March, Green has taken his game to the next level. He has averaged 31.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in the subsequent 9 games. A player needs self confidence to put up such stat-lines, and Jalen Green has that in bucket loads.

In an interview, Jalen Green revealed his motive behind wearing nail paint. He said, “I started to wear nail polish on my pinky finger around the age of 18. There wasn’t a reason behind me wearing nail polish… it was just something that I did organically, and it soon started to trend, especially in the basketball world.”

Although Green has continued to express his individuality even as a bona-fide NBA star, many have criticized him and labeled him as “soft” because of his personal preferences.

However, the trend of painting nails has caught on in basketball, especially among young college hoopers. Duke’s 20-year-old star hooper, Jared McCain, is one such college hooper who has gained attention for sporting nail polish during NCAA games.

Jared McCain follows in the footsteps of Jalen Green

Few college athletes have garnered social media attention quite like Duke’s Jared McCain. The 20-year-old guard has amassed approximately 2.6 million followers on TikTok. Apart from TikTok, McCain has also accumulated around 920,000 followers on his Instagram handle. Like Jalen Green, McCain also paints his nails. Moreover, his dance moves and flashy personality have made him a polarizing figure in the basketball community.

However, he doesn’t let hate bother him. During an interview, Jared McCain laughed off suggestions for him to be more masculine. He said, “The hate is funny because it’s usually grown men most of the time and it’s like you’re a grown man just hating on a kid. It doesn’t affect me at all. I kind of just laugh at it.”

McCain has used his popularity to his benefit, as he is one of the most marketable college athletes. In fact, he ranks 3rd among college basketball athletes in NIL valuation, with a total valuation of $1.1 million.

Jared McCain is no slouch on the court either, as he has averaged 13.8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for Duke. Furthermore, he has guided the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight of the NCAA basketball tournament, where they are set to face NC State later tonight.

So, what are your thoughts on Jared McCain and Jalen Green’s unconventional choices? Let us know in the comments below!

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