Feb 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

'He’s Just Misunderstood in a Lot of Ways' – Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid Draws Honest Verdict From Teammate

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:28 AM ET

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain recently opened up on his relationship with star teammate Joel Embiid, and the former claims that the latter is often misunderstood.

While McCain admitted he didn’t know what to expect before meeting Embiid for the first time, the Philadelphia 76ers guard said he eventually grew comfortable talking to the former league MVP.

“I think, coming in as a rookie, you never know with these superstars how they’re going to be, how they’re going to react to especially me, seeing my social media, a lot of people have that first impression that is not always the best when I meet people. But for him, it was just he was way more chill than I thought it was going to be, and that’s when I first met him,” McCain told SI’s Declan Harris.

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“For me, he was a great mentor, I talked to him a lot when I was on the bench, when I was injured and not playing as much or at all,” he continued. “Just talking to him on the bench, he’s just a good person.”

Philadelphia 76ers News: Jared McCain labeled as one of the top sophomores to watch in 2025-26

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain had his rookie year cut short due to a serious knee injury, and it’ll be interesting to see how he’ll bounce back this upcoming season, per NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner.

Nov 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) shoots the ball past Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“McCain was the biggest “what if?” of the 2024 class, seemingly on his way to contending for the Kia Rookie of the Year award until his season ended two weeks into December with meniscus surgery. The Duke product was logging starter’s minutes and hitting 38% of his 3-pointers when he went down, while making several of the teams that let him slide to No. 16 rethink their decisions,” Aschburner wrote.

“McCain won’t be shy about carving out a place for himself in the Sixers’ busy backcourt with Tyrese Maxey, rookie V.J. Edgecombe, Kyle Lowry, and possibly Quentin Grimes,” he concluded.