Why does Jared McCain wear nail polish? Exploring reasons behind Duke star's style

Jared McCain's fingernails have become a topic of discussion, as the young Duke guard settles into his role with the Blue Devils. McCain has been criticized by fans for wearing nail polish, but the freshman hasn't paid attention to any of the noise.

The star guard has also built a presence off the court with over 2 million followers on TikTok and is one of just 19 amateur athletes with a name, image and likeness valuation of at least $1.0 million. In fact, USC Trojans guard Bronny James is the only men's college basketball player with a higher valuation.

Why does Jared McCain wear nail polish?

According to McCain, he wears nail polish as a means to "be himself". While the freshman guard has been scrutinized for his choice, McCain hasn't wavered and continues to preach his message to fans. Speaking with Complex, the Duke guard stated:

"I mean, at an early age I've always been told to just be myself, like I'm always just gonna be myself and as for the painted nails, I saw it during quarantine and I just started doing it.

"I never saw anything wrong with it like. I understand girls do it. I understand men have started to do it a little more recently, but it was just something I saw and I like to get manicures and pedicures. I take care of my body. Some of these people hate, I don't know if they do take care of their body.

"I just like getting the color and it's always been myself. I've always been big on just being yourself in any situation possible. And never letting somebody tell you what, what you can and can't be. So doing the painted nails is kind of a part of me now.

"I just kind of do it whether I get to hate or not. The hate is funny because it's usually grown men most of the time and it's like you're a grown man just hating on a kid. It doesn't affect me at all. I kind of just laugh at it." [h/t Complex]

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How has Jared McCain performed in his college career?

Jared McCain joined the Duke Blue Devils as a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He has started every game as a true freshman while averaging 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. McCain is shooting 45.7% from the field, 39.8% from three-point range and 86.8% from the free-throw line.

While he projects as a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, it is unclear if McCain will enter the draft. He could return to Duke in an attempt to further build his stock, similar to how Kyle Filipowski did ahead of the 2023-24 season.