Jared McCain scored 12 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and finished on the court as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on May 20, 2026.
McCain also collected six rebounds and handed out three assists, played more than seven minutes in the fourth quarter and was on the floor when the final horn sounded — tangible evidence the Thunder trusted the second-year guard in a close playoff moment.
The numbers matter because McCain is no longer a novelty bench piece; since the start of the second round he has averaged 10.8 points off the bench in Oklahoma City’s six games, and he had appeared in 40 games with the Thunder at the time of a recent profile. He was acquired midseason in a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers after being selected 16th overall in the 2024 NBA draft.
McCain’s trajectory began with a hot start in Philadelphia: in the 76ers’ first 23 games of the 2024-25 season he averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc before a meniscus tear in his left knee ended his season on Dec. 14, 2024. The midseason move to Oklahoma City reintroduced him as a dynamic bench scorer and an online personality with a large following: more than 5 million TikTok followers, 2 million on Instagram and 375,000 YouTube subscribers.
Teammates and staff have wrapped around that package. Alex Caruso praised his presence plainly: "Jared has been enlightening for us as a team from a personality standpoint" and said "Anybody who has gotten to talk to him or see him since he’s been here, [knows] he has endless energy every single day and he’s always smiling, joking, being a part of the team and being a great teammate." Caruso added, "His energy is contagious any time he is on the court." McCain said the Thunder staff, the team, and the city "welcomed me immediately when I was traded" and that "it just felt right when I got here."
Off the court, McCain is a visible figure whose nail art and dance videos have drawn both attention and criticism. "The painting of the nails, the TikTok [dances] and being able to do that, I definitely got hate for it," he told a recent profile, adding: "But it wasn’t an in-your-face kind of thing because I started it during COVID [the coronavirus pandemic]. It’s something I like doing. But basketball has always been the main thing, and people try to deteriorate that and make it about other things." He said he credits his parents and his family for giving him confidence: "I’ve always been comfortable doing it and comfortable in my own skin. I credit my parents and my family for providing me that confidence."
The same social life that drew scrutiny also helped him bond quickly with teammates. An AOL account of his arrival quoted McCain saying a dance he posted was something he did "while waiting for my bags after the trade," and that "For Shai to be there and record for me was a cool moment and got me close to a team I really love." That blend of personality and productivity—public persona plus playoff-ready minutes—creates a tension some players do not face: outside noise versus inside acceptance.
McCain, who was 22 in a recent report, finished Game 2 playing decisive minutes. That fact, combined with his 10.8 points off the bench in the Thunder’s six post-second-round games, supports a simple conclusion: Oklahoma City has begun to treat him as more than a social-media curiosity. His fourth-quarter minutes and the trust to close out a playoff road win suggest his role will only deepen as the conference finals continue.
