Basketball has always been a game built on revenge, and Jared McCain appears to be loading up for his own tale of vengeance against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 21-year-old star has been sidelined this season after tearing his ACL back in December 2024, but it was announced on February 4, 2026, that Philly had dealt him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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While that represents a significant upgrade in franchise situation, considering how dominant the Thunder have been, the move clearly did not sit right with McCain. He seems to have held onto some resentment, and as he returns to action, he has the City of Brotherly Love firmly in his crosshairs, this time in the form of a song.
On a new hip-hop track McCain shared alongside popular streamer PlaqueBoyMax, the Duke alum started spitting lyrics that are not difficult to decipher and could spell trouble for a Sixers team that is already dealing with plenty of issues.
“We better not run into Philly, cause if we do shit gonna get sticky. I can’t believe they gave me up. It’s cool. I’ma show ‘em what’s up,” McCain rapped over a beat.
He’s not J-Cole or Kendrick Lamar. But the message was clear. He obviously considered Philly his home. Now? It’s a place that he will be coming back for bones.
Jared McCain takes shots at the 76ers on his appearance with PlaqueBoyMax: “We better not run into Philly, cause if we do shit gonna get sticky. I can’t believe they gave me up. It’s cool. I’ma show ‘em what’s up.” pic.twitter.com/08bxm1KapD
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 14, 2026
It’s not like the McCain trade slipped under the radar. The 76ers got a first round pick and four second round picks in return. In a press conference, Sixers President of Operations Dary Morey had this to say about dealing away McCain: “I am quite confident we were selling high. Obviously, time will tell. Teams came to us with aggressive offers for him, and you could say yeah, that’s a good player.
“I agree with that. We thought this return was above the future value for our franchise.”
How did McCain respond to the trade before those lyrics dropped? “I don’t know,” he chirped with a smile during his first press conference as a member of the defending champion Thunder. Considering OKC’s recent fortune compared to Philly’s, McCain looks firmly on pace for a ring. The Thunder are once again sitting in first place in the West.
The Sixers, meanwhile, have cooled off after a red-hot stretch. Paul George has been suspended. Joel Embiid is still missing games, and the East continues to pull further and further away from a realistic Philly playoff run. That does not mean they will not get there. It just means they probably are not equipped to handle the smoke when push comes to shove.
Whether this turns into a true revenge arc or simply good headline fodder will depend on what McCain does once the ball is back in his hands, but the setup is undeniably juicy. Landing in OKC gives him structure, patience, and a winning environment, while the 76ers are still searching for stability around Joel Embiid.
If McCain becomes the player OKC believes he can be, every matchup against Philadelphia is going to feel personal, loud, and a little uncomfortable. And honestly, the league is more fun when young stars have receipts to cash.
