Jared McCain jokes about Wembanyama's 'hit' on him: 'I was gonna ask for [his] jersey'
Jared McCain jokes about Wembanyama's 'hit' on him: 'I was gonna ask for [his] jersey'
Clemente Almanza, OKC Thunder WireSat, June 20, 2026 at 6:15 PM UTC
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 22: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks to shoot the ball against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 22, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Nothing can ever put Jared McCain in a bad mood. The 22-year-old is the NBA's version of SpongeBob SquarePants — always smiling, always taking a glass-half-full approach. Honestly, it's a nice change of pace as cynicism usually invades most NBA players' mentality the longer they're in the league.
Considering McCain was shockingly traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Oklahoma City Thunder, he had every reason to grow cold in a results-oriented industry. Instead, he made the best of the situation. By the end of his second year, he had a pair of 20-point outings that pushed the 2026 Western Conference Finals to seven games.
Quite the journey from the start of the year — when he was buried on the Sixers' bench. In his latest YouTube vlog, McCain chronicled his Western Conference Finals. By the end of the epic series, he graduated from a luxury to a necessity as the Thunder were without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for the latter half of the games.
One of the clips from McCain's video that went viral was a jokey moment. After unveiling a framed photo where he and the OKC crowd simultaneously emoted his 3-point celebration. He eventually referenced Mason Plumlee's flagrant foul on him in the final moments of OKC's Game 5 win over San Antonio.
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Plumlee committed a hard foul on McCain by shoving him from behind. Moments before that happened, the online world had crafted a theory that Victor Wembanyama ordered San Antonio's veteran reserves to go hard at him. Perhaps to send a message that the series wasn't over, as the Thunder built up a 3-2 series lead at the time.
"I was gonna ask for Wemby's jersey, but since he had a hit on me, I can't," McCain joked.
We'll never know what Wembanyama exactly told Plumlee in that infamous moment. But the NBA didn't to dish out a flagrant foul the following day. Despite being on the wrong end of a reckless shove, McCain was in good spirits about the viral incident.
Sometimes, all you can do is laugh at the absurdity of the act.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jared McCain jokes about Wembanyama's 'hit' on him in NBA playoffs
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
