“The only bright spot for the 76ers is they struck gold by drafting Jared McCain,” wrote Kendrick Perkins on X. The statement does hold some truth. After all, amidst the dark cloud that’s been hanging over the Philadelphia 76ers because of injury concerns and Joel Embiid’s continued absence, the 20-year-old has still managed to make a mark! Not only has he been consistent in his appearances, but his average score of 16.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists has helped give the 76ers at least a fighting chance.

Jared McCain now stands on the same level as Dalton Knecht and Jaylen Wells. In fact, his performance has placed him as a possible contender for the Rookie of the Year title!

Outside of the basketball court and his stats, however, NBA enthusiasts may not be too aware of the Sixer’s history. And why would they? Jared McCain is fresh blood in the NBA. Given his performance over the last few games, there’s no doubt that McCain’s popularity will grow if he continues at this pace. So, there is no better time, than now, to discuss the player and his family history.

What is Jared McCain’s ethnicity? Exploring the roots and nationality of the Philadelphia 76ers star

As per older reports, Jared McCain belongs to a mixed race but identifies himself as an African-American. He was born on February 2004, in Sacramento, California. This makes him an individual of American nationality. Interestingly, the youngster recently accepted Filipino ties! In a locker room video that’s been doing the rounds on the internet, he can be heard saying, “Shout out to my Asian community… [I’m] Probably like 10% Filipino, but that counts, right?”

McCain’s father, Lance, is African-American himself, while his mother, Jina, is white.

Despite their varying ancestral links, both Lance and Jina were born in the United States, too. This makes them American nationals as well. Along with that, both Jina and Lance can boast of being from a sports background.

Who is Jared McCain’s father? Did he play in the NBA?

Before he went on to pursue a career as a flight attendant, Lance McCain dabbled in basketball during his early days. The college basketball team at Midland College in Texas selected him to join. His popular teammate Spud Webb was later selected by the Detroit Pistons, got waived, and then the Atlanta Hawks took him in. Webb even went on to win the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Unfortunately, Lance McCain could not achieve that level of success. After his stint at Midland College, Lance pursued his Bachelor’s at Texas Tech University. He eventually graduated with a degree in International Trade and Development Economics. Despite this, basketball still remained close to the former player. This interest- he passed on to his children.

Does Jared McCain have a brother who plays in the NBA?

Jared McCain may not have been where he is today if his elder brother hadn’t influenced him. After all, Lance’s history may have acted as a catalyst. However, it was Jayce who fuelled the basketball drive in Jared.

Jared and Jayce trained together right from their childhood days. As the latter would later recall in an interview, “We played one-on-one nonstop. I continuously beat him like I do now.” While Jared was still in high school, Jayce committed to playing for Cal State San Marcos. Unfortunately, persisting health problems prevented him from going beyond the 3 seasons with the Cougars, with whom he averaged 11 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. What he couldn’t achieve, Jayce set out to fulfill for his brother.

“All while this is going on, I’m kinda contemplating my own career and thinking, ‘Man, I probably won’t make it as far as I wanted to go — all the way to the NBA,’” said Jayce in an interview. “And that’s when I kinda started thinking about, I need to start investing in my little brother, who has potential.”

The two brothers worked hard as the rest of the world struggled with the effects of COVID-19. The training that Jayce provided helped young Jared grow as a player, eventually helping the hoopster become a solid five-star recruit, with a consensus national ranking of 14! To this day, the 76ers rookie continues to appreciate the efforts that his brother made in his development.

Is Jared McCain religious?

The 20-year-old rookie has never publicly spoken about his religious beliefs. The closest he came to indicating any belief was when he put out an Instagram post back in October 2020. It highlighted the player on the basketball court, donning a ‘Pure Sweat’ T-shirt and a pair of Nikes. McCain then added a caption, that read, “Looking at my life story God is a good author”.

Even if McCain has some religious beliefs, it still hasn’t stopped him from following a few practices preached by other religious sects. The rookie is reportedly a big believer in yoga and meditation!

He revealed, “I meditate every single day, every day. Especially with the social media hate and just being on the court, it helps me be so calm.” For Jared McCain, being not in the right place mentally, and not having the right kind of focus, means that one would end up learning slower. In a sport like the NBA, one can never learn too much!

With his influential upbringing, the mentoring by his brother, and his own mindset, Jared McCain has made himself THE player to watch out for as the regular season progresses. The Philadelphia 76ers may, or may not, get out of their pit in the coming days. Despite this, NBA enthusiasts will hope that the rookie does not lose his shine anytime soon.