Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain has attracted a lot of attention for sporting painted fingernails on the court, but former NBA star Carmelo Anthony doesn't think it's a big deal.
In an interview with Mark Elibert for Complex, Melo was asked what he thinks about McCain and the noise he's made since debuting in the league. "That's the generation now. Like we got to fall back like it ain't our time no more, man," he shared. "This is a young man sport like this ain't our time. We can't keep laying down the iron fist when we only don't agree with something. Let them boys be themselves, man, let them do what they do and have their fun like they do it differently than we did it."
Melo added that he thinks that people "can't be mad" at the new generation doing things differently. "That's two totally different generations," he said. "If you got to keep painting them fingernails, man, he's still hooping."
He was also pressed for more thoughts on what pushes the new generation to be themselves, using LaMelo Ball as another example.
"I feel like they don't care; that's what it is. It's a difference. They don't care, they are fearless, you know what I mean? " he said. "And they don't care what nobody say. We still were standing on something, and we still had a foundation. Like they are taking our foundation and just recreating what they want to recreate, but that's society today, right? It's all DIY today. ... They do it for themselves, in their own way, and feel good about doing it."
In an interview with Complex last year, while he was playing for Duke University, McCain dismissed the criticism for painting his nails.
"I like to get manicures and pedicures. I take care of my body," he said. "Some of these people hate, I don't know if they do take care of their body. So, I just like getting the color and it's always been myself ... 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."