Sixers’ Jared McCain Earns Rising Stars Spot Despite Season-Ending Injury

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain, sidelined for the season after left knee surgery, received a surprising honor Tuesday when he was selected for the NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco next month.

McCain, the No. 16 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Duke, earned one of 10 rookie spots for the event, which pits first-year players against second-year players and G League standouts. Despite playing only 23 games before tearing his lateral meniscus on Dec. 13, McCain averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and shot 38.3% from three-point range, earning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors in November.

“It’s obviously been one of my goals to be in that game, and I didn’t know if I was eligible or not to even be in it,” McCain said during a pregame news conference Tuesday. “But it was really cool to be named that in the games I played in.”

McCain described the moment he learned of his injury, which occurred during a game against the Indiana Pacers. Initially, he thought he had suffered a head injury after a hard fall. After passing a concussion test, he returned to the game but noticed his knee felt “weird.” The next day, swelling and limping prompted an MRI, which revealed the tear. “I started crying,” McCain recalled. “It was very tough to hear how long I’d be out for and to know I’ve worked so hard to be in the NBA and now it just gets taken away from me so quick.”

Sixers star Joel Embiid, who missed significant time early in his career due to injuries, reached out to McCain via FaceTime after the surgery. “He wanted to just know what I was doing, what really had happened, and just told me kind of how to get through it,” McCain said. “So it was really cool to hear from him.”

While rehabbing, McCain has been focusing on mental exercises, learning Spanish, and playing the piano. He has also been using visualization techniques to aid his recovery. “I visualize for longer, visualizing a healthy knee,” he said. “I made a new goal board and then I usually go into my reading.”

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said McCain has been gradually re-integrating with the team. “He really had to take care of himself, make sure that things were fine,” Nurse said. “He’s been around more here recently, but he’s still not to a point where it’s easy for him to get around.”

McCain remains uncertain about attending the Rising Stars game, prioritizing his recovery. “Just taking it super slow,” he said. “Definitely don’t want anything to happen. And knowing it is going to be a full recovery, just keeping that in mind.”

The Rising Stars Challenge will take place on Feb. 14 at Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors.