Jared McCain celebrates proving the Philadelphia 76ers wrong with his WCF performance

The Oklahoma City Thunder are now 2-1 up against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. It was a gusty victory for the defending champions, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

However, the standout player outside of Shai for the Thunder was Jared McCain. Considering he was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the season, he has quickly proven them wrong for trading him.

Jared McCain continues to prove the 76ers wrong with another big night

During his rookie year in the 2024-25 season, McCain was superb. Everyone within the 76ers organization knew that, but it ended abruptly with an injury. In the 2025 NBA Draft, the 76ers selected VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick, which became a big part of why McCain left.

Then-team president Daryl Morey traded McCain at the trade deadline to the Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick and three future second-round picks. Now, that move has turned out to be quite lopsided due to McCain's impact at OKC.

MORE: The final box score from Game 3 between the Spurs and the Thunder

McCain has been superb for the Thunder ever since the trade, but his biggest night was Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs.

In place of Jalen Williams and a hobbled Ajay Mitchell, McCain had a lot of touches. He made the most out of that by scoring 24 points on 21 field-goal attempts. It is another big blow to the 76ers team that let him go.

"It's everything. That's why I do this, it's to prove those people that there are people who believe me in right. My support system, all these players, they truly believe in me. That gives the most confidence to do my best," McCain said to NBC's Zora Stephenson after Game 3.

The Thunder keep finding ways to win, and McCain looks to be one of the best players on the floor for OKC. Considering the Thunder had 76 bench points, McCain played a pivotal role in turning this series on its head.

More NBA news:

• The Spurs and Thunder broke an 11-year record in Game 3 of the WCF
• The latest news surrounding Ajay Mitchell's injury in Game 3 of the WCF
• Jared McCain's nail polish trends once again in Game 3 vs the Spurs
• Security got involved in the Spurs and Thunder's latest clash
• The latest updates about De'Aaron Fox's Game 3 injury