With a cane aiding him, Sixers rookie guard Jared McCain made his way to a podium which had quickly become a familiar place for him months prior.
For the first time since he suffered a season-ending torn meniscus on Dec. 13, McCain met with the media on Tuesday before the Sixers' impressive victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
McCain discussed being named to the NBA's Rising Stars Challenge earlier in the day, the shock that came with finding out the severity of his knee injury, two new hobbies he has picked up without being able to play basketball and more.
The latest from McCain in another edition of Sixers soundbites:
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• McCain, who said he was surprised, on the news of his inclusion in the Rising Stars Challenge:
"My agent had texted me. He texted me a picture of the names. It's always been one of my goals to be in that game. I didn't know if I was eligible or not to be in it, but it was really cool to be named to that in the games I played in."
• McCain on the mental aspect of his recovery:
"I knew right away that the mental side was going to be probably the hardest part of [the recovery]. So I definitely took some time away [from basketball]…it was hard to watch it a little bit. You just get frustrated sometimes. It's like, 'Why me?' or 'Why did this happen?' But talking to my family and people around me, I just know it's part of my process and I know I'm going to come back even better. It's all part of the plan and I'm excited. I get to learn new things. I get to watch it from a different perspective. Just trying to find the good in every situation."
• McCain on the timeline of events when he reported knee soreness to the team, which was later revealed to be the meniscus tear:
"I think I was guarding [Pascal] Siakam. I was like, 'Wow, he could easily score on me if he just backs me down, my knee is really hurting.' It was towards the end of the game and I told the medical staff it kind of felt weird. And the next is when it was swollen and I was limping…. So I told them, got the MRI and everything. Didn't really think much of it. I thought it was something more minor. And then my agent called me and it was a very, very sad tone. I was like, 'Oh goodness, this is not good,' and they told me. It was hard. I mean, I started crying. It was very tough to hear how long I'd be out for and to know I worked so hard to be in the NBA and now it just gets taken away from me so quick. So it was tough, especially that night. And then surgery: I don't like needles and I don't like anything medical-wise. So I didn't even want to hear what was wrong with me or anything, I just wanted them to do it, get it over with. And luckily I'm good now and I got a little cane with me. So just taking it step by step."
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• McCain on what physical activity he is capable of doing right now:
"Just kind of regaining balance, walking on the treadmill with the zero gravity thing. Just kind of learning my body again, learning how to walk regular again. So just taking it super slow. Definitely don't want anything to happen and knowing it's going to be a full recovery and just keeping that in mind."
• McCain on his two new hobbies which have helped him fill the void left by his inability to play basketball:
"Right after surgery when I started feeling getter, I wanted yo figure out something to do, new hobbies or something. And so right now I'm learning Spanish on DuoLingo and I'm learning the piano, taking some piano classes."
• McCain on why he landed on learning Spanish and the piano:
"Spanish because when I was in middle school, I took advanced Spanish and I was really good at it and I should have stayed with it. But when I got to high school it was the Spanish I already knew, so it was kind of easy for me. Now I need to regain that all back. I think it'd just be cool to learn Spanish. And piano is just something I've always thought was, like, the coolest thing. When you go into a room and there'd be somebody playing the piano and they or one of your friends knew how to play the piano, and they just walk in and play something. I thought that was really cool, so I wanted to learn."
• McCain on the support he has received from Joel Embiid and other teammates since his injury:
"[Embiid] FaceTimed me after it happened, and it was just really cool. He wanted to know what I was doing, what really had happened, and just told me kind of how to get through it and just helped me with that. So it was really cool to hear from him and the rest of my team as well…. I mean, from the support staff to teammates, coaches, they've all reached out, just checked on me. It feels good, and it's been really cool to feel that the city, my teammates and my family, everyone around me, is showing."
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