Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) and Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) in action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NBA Makes Jared McCain Announcement Ahead of Pacers-Thunder Series

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 1:40 PM ET

The 2025 NBA Finals are around the corner. As the league gets prepared for the Indiana Pacers’ series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA announced this year’s “player correspondents” for the series.

This year, the Philadelphia 76ers will have a representative as their first-round pick, Jared McCain, will take on Game 1 duties.

Introducing the NBA Player Correspondents for the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV ️

Jared McCain (Game 1), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Game 2), Dyson Daniels (Game 3), and Matas Buzelis (Game 4) will be on the ground giving inside access from Oklahoma City and Indiana, beginning… pic.twitter.com/caDpRWj6iK
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2025

What’s the NBA Player Correspondent Program?

The NBA Player Correspondent Program gives players an opportunity to serve as media members for major league events, including the Finals. McCain will provide “on-the-ground coverage directly to NBA social and digital platforms.”

The program is in place to help prepare players for a potential media career in their post-playing days. For McCain, he’s got a long way to go for that, as he just entered the NBA.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the NBA landed on McCain to kick things off. Before the young star entered the NBA, he had a major social media presence due to his TikTok content. The rookie guard has over 4 million followers on the platform today.

Along with his major social media presence, McCain established himself as a rising star in the NBA after a short but impactful first season in the league.

The correspondent role for McCain will end after Game 1. Miami’s Jaime Jaquez, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, and Chicago’s Matas Buzelis will handle the following games. If the series expands beyond four games, it’s unclear who would cover those matchups.

McCain becomes the second Sixer to join the NBA’s unique program. In the past, Tyrese Maxey was a social media correspondent for the 2022 NBA Finals.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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