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

Sixers' Jared McCain Reflects on Latest Injury Setback

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Declan Harris | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 1:38 PM ET

The most recent offseason was a long one for Jared McCain of the Philadelphia 76ers, as he has been off the court since the middle of December, when he suffered from a torn meniscus, which brought his rookie season in the NBA to an abrupt end.

Across the 23 games that McCain appeared in for the Sixers during his rookie campaign, he would average 15.3 points and 2.6 assists per game, which in part was a reason he was named the Eastern Conference’s Rookie of the Month for the month of November.

All seemed well for the former Duke star, as he had been recovering throughout the offseason, opting not to attend the NBA Summer League as he continued through his rehabilitation process. This was until a day before the Sixers’ media day in late September, when the team announced that McCain had suffered from a UCL tear in his right thumb and was deciding on the best route moving forward.

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This route would see the 22-year-old undergo surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in late September, with the team planning on reevaluating their rising star in four weeks to see where his progress is.

What’d McCain have to say about his latest setback?

In a recent vlog to his YouTube channel, McCain talked openly about the frustrations in his latest setback, but seeing it as something that he was meant to go through, or ultimately more, a learning experience.

“You know, not the best way to start the 2025–2026 season, but it happens. The universe wants me to go through this,” McCain explained in his vlog. “So never, ever, ever question the universe and God’s energies — and what they give to you — ’cause they only give it to you for you to learn from it, to grow from it, and to be great from it. So never question it. But it definitely sucks that I gotta get another surgery. In the past— what— eight months? I’ve had two surgeries.”

If the Sixers' initial timetable is to be accurate, McCain will miss out on his team’s first batch of games in the upcoming season. Nick Nurse will have plenty of players to fill the shoes of the 22-year-old, with players such as VJ Edgecombe, Kyle Lowry, Quentin Grimes, Justin Edwards, among others.

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

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