Jared McCain kept the emotion in check, but he did not pretend it was not there. After Oklahoma City’s 123-103 win over Philadelphia, the former Sixers guard acknowledged that facing his old team came with a natural urge to make a statement, even as he tried to center himself on the bigger goal of helping the Thunder win.
Philadelphia traded McCain to Oklahoma City at the February deadline, and his return to face the Sixers gave the night an added layer beyond the final score.
Reflecting on the emotions around the game, McCain said,
“I think for me, I try not to put that pressure, but it just happens, you know? It’s natural. When I was meditating this morning. It was a lot of just acceptance of it. It’s gonna happen. You’re gonna have those feelings. There’s that subtle feeling of you want to you want to prove the team wrong that traded you, but you try and just kind of put that away, and you just want to win.”
“There’s that subtle feeling of you wanna prove that team wrong that traded you…But at the end of the day, I just wanted to win. Of course I wanted to beat the Sixers.”
— Jared McCain. ✊💯
(via @JClarkNBCS)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 24, 2026
That quote captured the tension of the moment. McCain did not frame the night as revenge, but he also did not hide from the reality that players remember these games differently. He spoke openly about the pull between personal motivation and professional discipline, and his answer made clear that both were present. Oklahoma City got the win, and McCain got to leave Philadelphia with the kind of result that naturally carries extra meaning for a player returning so soon after a trade.
McCain said previously that he was blindsided by the deal before eventually embracing the opportunity to join the defending champions. Since arriving in Oklahoma City, he has spoken about wanting to reward the Thunder’s faith in him and simply find ways to help a title-caliber roster.
