Jared McCain reveals the joyous mindset behind the offensive’s resurgence

The Philadelphia 76ers continue to deal with a mountain of injury problems, with Quentin Grimes joining Joel Embiid and Kelly Oubre Jr. on the mend Tuesday night in their matchup against the Washington Wizards. But at the very least, Jared McCain appears to be struggling with injuries in the rearview mirror. McCain, who saw his rookie season cut short by a torn meniscus, had 14 points, three rebounds and five assists in the 76ers’ 121-102 win over the Wizards.

McCain is being kept on a short leash by head coach Nick Nurse, but if he continues to play the way he has, the 76ers will have a hard time keeping him off the floor. But even with McCain getting nothing in the rotation in Philly, he continues to play with so much joy. Every move he makes on the court shines with so much happiness, and it all boils down to just being him in a good place mentally.

“Man, because life is amazing. I can’t complain. I’m in the NBA. I’m living a great life. No matter what happens, I’m going to keep working hard and I’m going to come here and just try to spread as much joy as I can to the people who come here and pay money. I’m just trying to give them that energy back,” McCain said in an interview on Twitter on the official X76 account.

“Why do you play with so much joy?”

“Man, because life is amazing… no matter what happens, I’m going to keep working hard and I’m going to come out here and just try to spread as much joy as I can.” @PennMedicine pic.twitter.com/8LvNOviVmh

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sikers) December 3, 2025

The 76ers need all the good vibes they can get, especially with Embiid coming in and out of the lineup. And McCain is certainly doing his best to infuse the team with the energy they need to put together a winning campaign.

Can Jared McCain Recapture His 2024 Form For The 76ers?

The 76ers looked like they pulled off the biggest steal last year when McCain came out of nowhere to have multiple 30-point nights amid the team’s injury woes.

But McCain also suffered an injuryputting a huge dent in his development as a key piece for the 76ers in the long run. And the more he moves away from his injury woes, the more it looks like he’ll be able to put together the kind of games that would make him an invaluable member of the rotation once again.