Jared McCain’s painted nails and TikTok dances lay bare the worst of NBA fandom

The hate targeted at the 76ers’ rookie star for being his extroverted self has renewed conversations over entrenched homophobia in sports, especially among Black menWhen the Philadelphia 76ers posted a composite photo of their roster ahead of the 2024-25 season, all but one of their players stared dead-eyed at the camera. The exception, showing practically all 32 teeth in a wide smile, was the first-year guard Jared McCain. The photo would come to be indicative of the 20-year-old’s i