Few athletes in the NCAA are as popular online as Duke star Jared McCain.
The freshman guard for the Blue Devils is not just one of the best ballers on the court, but he also excels in the TikTok game. McCain has amassed over two million followers on the social media platform, which has helped him become one of the highest-paid NIL earners in college athletics.
McCain has shown a knack for handling business on and off the hardwood. The freshman from Sacramento is coming off a 30-point performance in No. 4 seed Duke’s second-round win over No. 12 seed James Madison, helping the Blue Devils to the Sweet 16. He is averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game this year for Jon Scheyer’s crew.
While he may be excelling on the scoresheet, there is another reason why McClain has so much buzz surrounding him. If viewers are watching closely enough, you can see that there are added colors on the basketball when McClain is handling the rock, thanks to his painted fingernails.
McCain isn’t the only NCAA stud to pull off the nail polish. Caleb Williams, the USC star quarterback and likely No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, also has been seen sporting colors on his fingernails.
So what is the reason behind McCain’s painted fingernails? Here is the simple reason why.
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Why does Jared McCain paint his nails?
The criticism of McCain’s fingernails did not just start during March Madness. The unprompted uproar by select fans online has been something he has dealt with for quite some time.
The Blue Devil told Complex in October of 2023 that he first started wearing the nail polish during the COVID-19 quarantine. He liked it, and it has been a staple of McCain’s ever since.
“I mean, at an early age I’ve always been told to just be myself,” McCain said.
“Like I’m always just gonna be myself and as for the painted nails, I saw it during quarantine and I just started doing it. I never saw anything wrong with it like. I understand girls do it. I understand men have started to do it a little more recently, but it was just something I saw and I like to get manicures and pedicures. I take care of my body. Some of these people hate, I don’t know if they do take care of their body.
“So, I just like getting the color and it’s always been myself. I’ve always been big on just being yourself in any situation possible. And never letting somebody tell you what, what you can and can’t be. So doing the painted nails is kind of a part of me now. I just kind of do it whether I get to hate or not.”
McCain’s fingernails have stirred quite the reaction out of certain fans online. Despite some of the comments about his choice, the Duke star hasn’t been fazed by the negativity, choosing to instead laugh at those getting worked up for no reason.
“The hate is funny because it’s usually grown men most of the time and it’s like you’re a grown man just hating on a kid,” McCain said. “It doesn’t affect me at all. I kind of just laugh at it.”
