What Jared McCain admitted about his emotional exit from the Philadelphia 76ers

Speaking with the media after Game 2, McCain described the whiplash of that moment.

"Man, I thank God every day. This is a blessing. When I first got traded, it was heartbreaking at that point. I didn't understand what was going on. But coming here, it has been nothing but love. And I'm so grateful. I share my gratitude with the team, maybe a little too much sometimes. Sometimes I get on their nerves. But I really appreciate them and everything they do for me and my career. It's worked out. It's a blessing to be here. I'm truly, truly grateful every single day. Every moment, I thank God every day for being in OKC."

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault pointed to a selfless extra pass McCain made to Ajay Mitchell in Game 1 as a sign of the qualities OKC's locker room rewards most.

"I just think there’s certain qualities a player has that resonate with this particular locker room. “Professionalism is one of them. Commitment to your craft is another one. Competitiveness, the willingness to compete and the willingness to play inside of the team. If you do those things on this team, you earn pretty immediate respect.

"Take, for example, the extra pass McCain made to Mitchell in Game 1. “This team recognizes that, and you’re part of the club pretty quickly," Daigneault said.

McCain is a player who needed a fresh start, and the timing has been everything to him.