Jared McCain Opens Up on Mental Health Advocacy

Away from the court, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain knows exactly where his attention goes.

When Lindy’s Sports recently asked McCain what he is focused on outside of basketball, he didn’t hesitate. “Really, anything involving mental health,” McCain said. “I love talking about mental health, so that’s the main thing I’m into right now.”

For a 22-year-old who has already been through a season-ending injury, a midseason trade last year and a deep playoff run, the answer makes sense.

“I never had expectations for myself coming in,” he said back in May. “Once I knew that I can provide some help for this team, it was almost like, let me. I want to do anything I can to help this team win.”

“If you told me four months ago that I would start in some Western Conference Finals games and play the role that I was able to play, not that I thought you were crazy, but I would look at you a little weird.”

And he isn’t the only young star using his platform this way. Washington Mystics rookie Lauren Betts has made the same cause central to her first year as a pro.

A rookie year that tested McCain

Philadelphia selected McCain 16th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft after one season at Duke. He looked like a steal early, averaging 15.3 points in 23 games and earning eight starts before tearing the meniscus in his left knee in a December game against Indiana.

Surgery ended his rookie season and his chase for Rookie of the Year.

McCain has since said the hardest part of that first year wasn’t physical. On Paul George’s Podcast P in June 2025, he described the jump from a structured college life to long days with no classes or routine.

Having been homeschooled for much of high school, he found the sudden freedom of NBA life left him searching for purpose.

The tools behind the mindset

McCain doesn’t just talk about mental health. He has built a daily routine around it.

During his knee rehab, he told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he spent time each day meditating and visualizing his recovery, down to picturing a healed meniscus. He repeats affirmations in the mirror, keeps several journals and stays off social media first thing in the morning, which he called a “one-way train to brain rot.”

He also works with a psychologist he started seeing at Duke, who still sends reminders before games, and he credits exercise as a key part of staying balanced.

A fresh start in Oklahoma City

The 76ers traded McCain to the Thunder in February 2026 for a 2026 first-round pick and three second-round picks. He had averaged 6.6 points in 37 games for Philadelphia that season, and the move gave him a clean slate on a championship-level roster.

When injuries hit Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell in the Western Conference finals against San Antonio, McCain made his first career playoff start in Game 5 and scored 20 points in a 127-114 win. The Spurs took the series in seven, but McCain proved he belonged on the big stage.