Philadelphia 76ers Guard Jared McCain Weighs in on Key NBA Debate

Jared McCain gives his take on "foul baiting" in the NBA.

Dec 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

While continuing to recover from his season-ending knee injury, Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain teamed up with AT&T to provide live coverage of playoff action. In the midst of an exciting matchup between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, the rookie chimed in on a key discourse in the NBA.

Throughout the 2025 playoffs, one of the top individual performers has been Knicks star Jalen Brunson. His style of play is a bit polarizing, especially when it comes to attacking the basket. Brunson is constantly looking to draw as much contact as possible to put the officials in a position to call a foul.

During Game 1 against the Pacers, Brunson continued to draw as many fouls as possible. When the topic of foul-baiting came up, McCain quickly shut it down. He feels it's just smart basketball from guys like Brunson, and even brought up past conversations he's had with Joel Embiid on the subject.

"It's just smart," McCain said. "I talk to Joel about it, he thinks you're just playing the game smart. Just knowing how to manipulate the game in your own way. If it's a foul it's a foul."

Jared McCain on 'foul-baiting' in the NBA:

"Even when I talk to Joel [Embiid] about it, he think's it just playing the game smart. Knowing how to manipulate the game in your own way." 🗣️ @ATT pic.twitter.com/xeBoVrOBz9

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025

Embiid has faced a similar type of criticism over the years, as he, too, has the ability to get to the line at a high rate. While he regularly draws a lot of contact when attacking the basket, many argue he embellishes things in order to get a call.

With guys like Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going strong in the playoffs, fail-baiting is sure to remain at the forefront of conversation.