'Let them boys be themselves, man' - Carmelo Anthony defends Jared McCain for painting his nails

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain is a unique player in a wide array of ways. Besides his impressive skills on the court, his personality goes beyond the sidelines, particularly with his involvement on TikTok and how he expresses himself by being one of the rare players who puts on nail polish. The rookie has received a ton of flack for this, which was why Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony spoke up to defend the 20-year-old.

In an exclusive interview with Complex Sports, Melo reiterated that people should just let McCain live his life.

"Let them boys be themselves, man, let them do what they do and have fun like they do it differently than we did it. We can't be mad at that. That's two totally different generations. Jared McCain: If you got to keep painting them fingernails, man, he's still hooping," the retired forward said.

Why does McCain paint his nails?

It is positive to see Anthony encouraging the Sixers guard to keep being himself, especially in a society where the majority frown upon male athletes who paint their nails. McCain began this practice during quarantine and has kept it up ever since. His painted nails have become a signature look, and he has been featured in several viral TikTok videos, which has even earned him a NIL deal with the beauty brand Sally Hansen, allowing him to profit from his standout aesthetic.

"I take care of my body. Some of these people hate; I don't know if they do take care of their bodies. ... So, doing the painted nails is kind of a part of me now. I just kind of do it whether I get to hate or not," McCain told Complex in October 2023.

Moreover, Anthony commends the guard out of Duke University for not being afraid to be himself. The 10-time All-Star called out his generation of players for nitpicking Jared about his decision to paint his nails.

"That's the generation now. Like we got to fall back like it ain't our time no more, man [laughs]. This is a young man sport like this ain't our time. We can't keep laying down the iron fist when we only don't agree with something," Anthony added.

Melo on the difference between this and his generation

After defending McCain, the former forward was then asked about what he feels is the biggest difference between his generation and today. Melo's answer was simple: players in the NBA today flat out don't care about what other people think of them, which can obviously be a good or bad thing, depending on the situation.

"They don't care. They are fearless, you know what I mean? And they don't care what nobody says. We still were standing on something, and we still had a foundation. They are taking our foundation and just recreating what they want to recreate," he added.

It's nice to see old heads like Anthony show their support for McCain with the way he's so unbothered about being himself. These two personalities embody the kind of confidence and acceptance that could benefit not just the NBA but society as a whole.