Jared McCain lines up for a 3-point attempt in Duke's NCAA tournament Round of 64 win against Vermont. Photo by Alyssa Ting | The Chronicle

Jared McCain's NIL value at Duke before joining 76ers

By Justin Rubin July 04, 2024 09:14

Photo by Alyssa Ting | The Chronicle

The Duke basketball program is one of the most profitable squads in the ACC and all of college basketball. Understandably, this dipped when Mike Krzyzewski left but Jon Scheyer is not doing too bad. A prime product of his was Jared McCain. The TikTok sensation and now Philadelphia 76ers rookie was astounding in his one-and-done season. But, how much was NIL valuation before teaming up with Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey?

Jared McCain is ranked third in all of college basketball when it comes to NIL valuation, per On 3 Sports. The Duke basketball product had a bag valued at an estimated $1.2 million before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. That amount of money also ranked him 16th among all college athletes when it comes to their deals. The people at the top of that list? Well, they’re heavy hitters like Shedeur Sanders, Livvy Dunne, and Arch Manning.

At its peak, the 16th overall pick from the Duke basketball program had an NIL value of $1.4 million. Those numbers eventually declined by 18% after Jon Scheyer’s squad got mopped and eliminated by NC State during March Madness. But, the fact that McCain kept his TikTok and Instagram reels footprint alive helped a lot. He has had collaborations with Kim Kardashian and even Ray from Kai Cenat’s AMP.

What companies helped Jared McCain get this high of an NIL valuation?

The biggest contributors to the NIL value he amassed back in Durham were the sponsorships that he inked. Prior to getting selected by the 76ers, he had three main companies that were interested in having him as an endorser.

The first of which was Skims. This underwear for athletes sought McCain’s signature back on March 18, 2024. If you have not heard of it, the brand is the brainchild of Kim Kardashian. Along with McCain, other stars who they signed were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Neymar Jr. Kardashian even used her marketing genius to become the official underwear partner of the NBA.

Another big brand that got the Duke basketball star on their side was American Eagle Outfitters. The two camps signed a deal a little over a week after McCain sealed the Skims partnership. McCain can often be seen wearing their apparel on game nights and even in some of his social media posts. This is a big boost in terms of marketing because the 76ers rookie has 2.7 million followers on TikTok and 1 million on Instagram.

Lastly and probably the most controversial, McCain has a deal with Sally Hansen. The beauty care brand got interested after seeing the Duke basketball star rock nail colors during games. While a lot of vitriol came from the fans, he did not stop using the product and was even seen with black-colored nails during the NBA Draft.

The 76ers have one of the most marketable players in the world at the moment. If he’s not opening up the lane or stretching the floor out for Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, he might just be featured a lot on their social media accounts.