All 76ers

NBA Makes Jared McCain Announcement Ahead of Pacers-Thunder Series

Philadelphia 76ers star Jared McCain will have a role at the NBA Finals.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) and Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) in action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) and Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) in action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In this story:

Philadelphia 76ersOklahoma City ThunderIndiana Pacers

The 2025 NBA Finals are around the corner. As the league gets prepared for the Indiana Pacers’ series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA announced this year’s “player correspondents” for the series.

This year, the Philadelphia 76ers will have a representative as their first-round pick, Jared McCain, will take on Game 1 duties.

What’s the NBA Player Correspondent Program?

The NBA Player Correspondent Program gives players an opportunity to serve as media members for major league events, including the Finals. McCain will provide “on-the-ground coverage directly to NBA social and digital platforms.”

The program is in place to help prepare players for a potential media career in their post-playing days. For McCain, he’s got a long way to go for that, as he just entered the NBA.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the NBA landed on McCain to kick things off. Before the young star entered the NBA, he had a major social media presence due to his TikTok content. The rookie guard has over 4 million followers on the platform today.

Along with his major social media presence, McCain established himself as a rising star in the NBA after a short but impactful first season in the league.

The correspondent role for McCain will end after Game 1. Miami’s Jaime Jaquez, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, and Chicago’s Matas Buzelis will handle the following games. If the series expands beyond four games, it’s unclear who would cover those matchups.

McCain becomes the second Sixer to join the NBA’s unique program. In the past, Tyrese Maxey was a social media correspondent for the 2022 NBA Finals.

More 76ers on SI

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_
Home/News