For Jared McCain, the answer is a resounding yes – Stephen Curry is his idol and always has been. Growing up, McCain was fascinated by the way the Golden State Warriors superstar could sink shot after shot from beyond the arc. He watched every game he could find, studied Curry's moves, and even attended the 2022 Curry Camp where their paths first crossed.
Curry's words of wisdom that day have stuck with McCain ever since. In a recent interview, the young Sixers guard recalled the advice Curry gave him about trusting his work and never stopping to prepare. "Trusting your work" is more than just a phrase for McCain – it's a mindset that has guided him through tough times, including a devastating injury on the last day of the offseason and multiple assignments to the G League.
Despite being unable to face Curry in Tuesday's game against the Warriors due to right knee soreness, McCain is thrilled at the prospect of playing alongside his idol. "That's been a dream of mine, just to play with somebody who is my favorite player of all time," he said, his eyes shining with excitement.
McCain has had several encounters with Curry, including a chance meeting at All-Star weekend last year where they took a picture together and spoke about McCain's progress. He even received a voice note from Curry recently, offering words of encouragement on the mental side of performance. "He talked about in a voice note, he was saying how important it is to always be 'in process,'" McCain said. "And I'm huge on that in general, so it was cool to almost get validation for what I believe from the player that I admire the most."
As the Sixers prepare to take on their Western Conference foes, including a game in San Francisco where they'll face Curry's Warriors, McCain is ready to put his skills to the test. He knows that playing like Curry won't come easily, but he's worked tirelessly to develop his own unique style, which emphasizes off-ball movement and relocation.
"It's just cool moments like that where you get to see what you've worked on and see who's done it," McCain said of watching a play inspired by Curry. "In that moment I was like, 'Dang, that was like Curry.'"
While his season has been marked by injuries and inconsistency, McCain remains confident in his abilities and knows that he'll eventually find the rhythm of the game. As for facing Curry directly, McCain is still waiting – but he's at peace knowing that his idol will be playing alongside him soon enough.
"I don't like saying 'never meet your heroes,' but I've had really good experiences with people who I looked up to," McCain said with a smile. "Steph has been really cool."
With Curry's guidance and support, McCain is well on his way to becoming the player he always dreamed of being.
Curry's words of wisdom that day have stuck with McCain ever since. In a recent interview, the young Sixers guard recalled the advice Curry gave him about trusting his work and never stopping to prepare. "Trusting your work" is more than just a phrase for McCain – it's a mindset that has guided him through tough times, including a devastating injury on the last day of the offseason and multiple assignments to the G League.
Despite being unable to face Curry in Tuesday's game against the Warriors due to right knee soreness, McCain is thrilled at the prospect of playing alongside his idol. "That's been a dream of mine, just to play with somebody who is my favorite player of all time," he said, his eyes shining with excitement.
McCain has had several encounters with Curry, including a chance meeting at All-Star weekend last year where they took a picture together and spoke about McCain's progress. He even received a voice note from Curry recently, offering words of encouragement on the mental side of performance. "He talked about in a voice note, he was saying how important it is to always be 'in process,'" McCain said. "And I'm huge on that in general, so it was cool to almost get validation for what I believe from the player that I admire the most."
As the Sixers prepare to take on their Western Conference foes, including a game in San Francisco where they'll face Curry's Warriors, McCain is ready to put his skills to the test. He knows that playing like Curry won't come easily, but he's worked tirelessly to develop his own unique style, which emphasizes off-ball movement and relocation.
"It's just cool moments like that where you get to see what you've worked on and see who's done it," McCain said of watching a play inspired by Curry. "In that moment I was like, 'Dang, that was like Curry.'"
While his season has been marked by injuries and inconsistency, McCain remains confident in his abilities and knows that he'll eventually find the rhythm of the game. As for facing Curry directly, McCain is still waiting – but he's at peace knowing that his idol will be playing alongside him soon enough.
"I don't like saying 'never meet your heroes,' but I've had really good experiences with people who I looked up to," McCain said with a smile. "Steph has been really cool."
With Curry's guidance and support, McCain is well on his way to becoming the player he always dreamed of being.
and curry still gives him advice lol, i mean who wouldn't want to be told by curry to trust their work and be in process? anyway i think mccain is looking pretty solid this season with all the injuries he's had to deal with... maybe hes gotta take a few more games off tho 
but for real tho, its awesome that curry is being so supportive and stuff. like a true mentor or something 
. It's amazing how much impact Curry's words of wisdom have had on him - trusting your work and preparation is so true 
. I love that McCain has been inspired by Curry's moves on the court, it shows he's not just a fan, but also someone who puts in the hard work to develop his own skills 
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. That voice note must've meant so much to him! I'm excited to see how their partnership will play out on the court, and I'm sure it'll be a treat for fans to watch 
. Who knows, maybe we'll see a new 'Curry-esque' player emerge in McCain? 
. I mean dont get me wrong Stephen Curry is a beast, but its not like meeting someone makes u a better person or anything 
. Jared McCain seems like a chill dude tho, might actually benefit from Curry's advice more than people think 
. And yeah idc if he cant face Curry in game 1, thats just part of the process 
. Its cool that Curry took notice of him and stuff, but lets not put too much pressure on ppl to live up to idols or anything 
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. It's like, you're already getting advice from your idol, and now you get to play with them too? Talk about a dream come true! 
4 outta 10, can't even imagine having that kinda influence in ur life 
. Fingers crossed for him, I hope he crushes it on the court! 
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. His words of wisdom about trusting his work are super valuable, especially in this era where players need to stay mentally sharp 
. And yeah, it's awesome that they've had some cool encounters before – like that voice note from Curry himself 
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. How does it translate to actual game time? I'm not convinced it'll make a difference in the end. 
. We'll see how it plays out when the stakes are higher and he's actually expected to perform 
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. I remember watching Stephen Jackson on the Bulls back in 2005, it was like a dream come true for me 
It's awesome to know that he believes in Jared's process 
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I'm happy for Jared McCain and all, but let's see if this 'trusting your work' thing actually translates to on-field success... 
. Like, can't we just have our own unique style and not be influenced by some other player 
? McCain's obsession with Curry is kinda weird, if you ask me 
Can't he just play the game like a normal human being?