Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain went to the hospital to be evaluated for a concussion after suffering a heavy fall during Wednesday’s preseason game, coach Nick Nurse said.
McCain, who walked off the court under his own power, was attended to by team trainers for a couple of minutes as he appeared to struggle to catch his breath.
“It was rough,” Nurse told reporters after the game. “He’s going to the hospital to get checked out. Obviously, he was having trouble breathing there, maybe got the wind knocked out of him, not sure what was going on there, but never quite seen one like that before, so let’s hope he’s OK and see what the report is from the hospital.”
The fall occurred with four minutes to play as the 76ers hosted the Brooklyn Nets. McCain missed a layup and jumped for the rebound when he got tangled with two Nets, sending the 20-year-old rookie crashing down hard on his back and head. The fall drew a gasp from the crowd as officials immediately stopped action.
McCain, the No. 16 pick in April’s draft, could be heard coughing and was seen clutching his chest as trainers attended to him.
In five preseason games, McCain averaged 12.8 points per game, fourth-most on the Sixers, in a team-high 22.8 minutes per contest. McCain had been getting good reviews this month and was praised for his play in training camp. If he were to miss time, the 76ers have options at guard with Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson. The plan in the regular season was always to let McCain find his footing in the NBA, as franchise leaders have continuously pointed out how difficult it is for rookies to contribute.
McCain, who played one year at Duke, was a consensus five-star high school recruit in 2023. Off the court, McCain is already one of the most popular NBA players on social media before playing a regular-season game, with over one million Instagram followers and nearly four million TikTok followers.
(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
