The airport scene has become a tradition in Oklahoma City: thunder Fans standing behind a high, gated fence wait for the chance to high-five players returning from a road trip. Sometimes this happens in the middle of the night.
On the morning of April 11, a group of fans held signs and predictably cheered for their favorite – the reigning NBA MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, jalen williams, Chet Holmgren And luguentz dort. But it seemed like the noise was at its peak Jared McCainWho used to jump up and down before shaking hands with the fans.
McCain then stood on top of a makeshift platform and began shouting and chanting “OKC”, waking up the city. He raised his arms towards the fans to cheer them on and started dancing.
He tilted his head to the left, put his left foot forward, folded his arms towards him, then brought his left foot back and moved his hands in a circle. he repeated the offer Alternately from right foot to left. Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, aaron wiggins, jaelyn williams And Isaiah Joe Were standing laughing loudly and filming this scene.
It’s what Jared McCain does for the social media empire he’s been building since posting the first TikTok video on February 6, 2020. Their dances often set trends on the app, turning low-key sounds into automatic hits. Crocs, Sally Hansen and DoorDash are among the companies McCain has endorsed on his page. His first sponsorship video came in high school because prep students in California are eligible for zero.
McCain, the guard for the top-seeded Thunder in the NBA playoffs, boasts more than 5 million followers on that social platform, which is far more than both of his NBA teams (the Thunder and the Thunder). philadelphia 76ers) Joint. He has received 223 million likes – and counting. He blends these two lives: one as a professional hooper who dropped out 15 hours earlier in a loss to the Nuggets, and the other as a TikTok creator whose personality and dance moves are on par.
For his Thunder teammates, that night at the airport was a fun opportunity to create content. For McCain, it’s another example of the impact of his platform — which has made him a household name… his fans include people who have never seen him shoot a 3-pointer.
“I think it’s really cool that people come up to me and still don’t know I play basketball,” McCain told ESPN. “They only know me from TikTok. I think it’s really cool. The fact that I have two different platforms like this, two different ways of getting to know me, I think is amazing.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 6.6 assists on the season, recorded another assist early in the morning at the airport. Gilgeous-Alexander used McCain’s phone to record so that McCain could later post the dance video to his account along with the audio of the remix of Rihanna and Drake’s “Work”. The post received 5 million views in less than a week. Jaylin Williams shared her look on TikTok, captioning it: “Show them you’re doing that little dance.” It immediately became one of Williams’ most viewed posts.
McCain said, “I think it obviously boils down to the impact you have on the younger generation. That’s really what it’s all about.” “To be able to influence positivity and be yourself no matter what the situation is for the younger generation.”
McCain’s first post, then a freshman at Centennial High School in Corona, California, showed her dancing with a teammate. He posted four more times until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. TikTok offered another activity during the lockdown.
He mainly dances, something he told ESPN he’s always loved doing. Although she does not have a dance background, she said she watched the Disney series “High School Musical.”
McCain said of his dancing, “It’s just from birth, man. It’s from birth.” “Shout out to my mom and dad, man. They’ve got the rhythm. I think I got it from them and it just takes practice. Usually some time and practice.”
Like most content creation, building a following took time. In May 2021, his videos regularly reached six figures. He did a duet with nfl wide receiver juju smith-schusterAlso known for showing off his tricks.
Centennial’s locker room became part of TikTok lore. He returned there after being drafted by the 76ers in 2024. dance in a video Captioned: “[If you know you know] This locker room,” with over 15 million views.
As McCain watched the account grow, he pointed to the Nike EYBL Peach Jam tournament in July 2021. Flashing a wide smile, he posted popular dances after every game, which drew comments like: “Bro makes it and then drops 45” or “Aww TikTok star by day star by night.”
“That’s when it started going back and forth,” McCain says. “And they began [to] I realized I played basketball and that’s when I started moving forward [college] The offer and it was gone at that moment.”
His star rose at a parallel pace on and off the court. As schools recruited him, the idea grew. McCain documented the development.
an official visit to louisville guaranteed a post The TikTok audio “Ski x Surf” is his favorite. A month later, he dance during the official visit of University of Houston. McCain would return home where he would often shoot videos with his teammates or mother.
when he committed to ruler In March 2022, McCain also shared his decision on TikTok, receiving over 3 million views.
As he went off to college, he wondered how he would balance his pursuit of social media with playing basketball. Duke coach John Scheyer Said Before McCain’s new season, he was not worried that TikTok was affecting McCain’s game.
The shares were right. McCain averaged 14.3 points and five rebounds per game on a Duke team that reached the Elite Eight. After Duke’s Sweet 16 win, the locker room included McCain and his friends are dancing For TikTok. One user commented: “Imagine Houston hearing this in the other locker room.”
The 76ers selected McCain with the No. 15 pick in the first round of the 2024 draft — a day that also included four TikTok posts.
Less than two years later, McCain compared his balancing act of posting and playing basketball to that of any other professional athlete with a social media brand.
“We have a social media account and a lot of them do brand deals and stuff. And for me, TikTok posting is something I’ve been doing for a long time,” he said. “So I know how to balance it, whether it’s timing to post after a loss, like not actually posting then. Just being aware of it.”
McCain’s first video He was in a 76ers uniform after the draft with the caption: “First TikTok in an NBA jersey,” his second most liked TikTok of all time with just under 3 million. Commentators loved watching him grow from baby-faced newcomer to lottery pick.
A hot start as a rookie – 15.3 points per game in 23 games – enhanced the star he had built on the stage after visiting with fans in a unique way. His locker room video continued and teammates joined in Unforgettable Post with experienced guard kyle lowry Which received 7 million likes. After suffering a season-ending injury, McCann’s post-surgery thoughts took to TikTok, sharing Love and appreciation for the support.
Other NBA players took notice.
“Being on social media, you definitely see Jared. You see his TikToks all over the place,” Jaylin Williams told ESPN. “But I mean, actually at the time, I saw him doing TikTok as a little kid.”
As McCain gained popularity on the app, his posts often included comments from viewers such as: “Imagine if Jared was on the Thunder.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them,” McCain said, smiling. “It’s so strange that it’s a full circle moment.”
The 76ers defeated McCain and the Thunder on February 2. Two days later, his first statement following the move came on TikTok. He shared a “tribute to phillyBy singing an excerpt from Olivia Dean’s “A Couple Minutes”.
In McCain’s next post, he begins his Oklahoma City era by wearing an “OKC” shirt dancing in my hotel room With the caption: “I need a new house,” more than 2 million likes. McCain said it was all about showing his authentic feelings towards the “TikTok community” during his first trade.
While his peers in Philadelphia had first-hand experience of McCain’s TikTok stardom, those in Oklahoma City had not yet.
Williams said he has only seen McCain record “a few” videos since the two became teammates. But on March 1, McCain shared one of them dancing Williams and teammates as Millie in the chorus of “Just the Way You Are” Isaiah Hartenstein Standing back – almost like proud big brothers watching.
McCain said, “We arrived late in a city and we just randomly put it on and they wanted to be in it and so we put it together.” “So it’s just one of those things about having fun, being able to socialize with new teammates.”
Before Williams could answer what it was like to record the video, McCain talked about a “generational opportunity” before centering an explanation.
“Nothing crazy,” he said. “Normal Video.”
However, when informed by ESPN that it was one of McCain’s most popular TikTok videos, with just under 18 million views, Williams couldn’t believe what she heard. He yelled into the locker room and asked Hartenstein if he knew too, before saying “Oh”. The Center did not do this and from here the talks started.
“We’ve got to get the percentage,” Williams told McCain, sitting near his locker. “…we should get a thousand [dollars]”
Hartenstein and Williams then asked if ESPN knew how much money McCain made from the videos, but Gard clarified that he is not part of TikTok’s creator fund. Both centers came to the conclusion that McCain probably got another deal out of this. Midway through the conversation, Williams learned how many likes it had received.
“A million points [nine] Like?” Williams shouted.
Eventually, the three reached an agreement – not involving agents – that would require a cut of McCain’s next TikTok endorsement video. He did not disclose the terms, but he did shake hands.
McCain then resumed preparations to play against the LA Clippers that night, and quickly transitioned from one life to another. He recorded a follow-up video with Williams and Hartenstein a week later, with Hartenstein this time running away from the camera. It received over 1 million likes in four days.
With TikTok becoming popular just before the pandemic, McCain is arguably at the forefront of the trend of athletes posting on the app. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.
He said, “I think with time everything has become the same. Even if kids come to me and say that I inspire them to do certain things, I am just doing my job.” “Then whatever comes out of this [positively] Is good.”
