Duke University’s standout basketball star Jared McCain has become the first athlete to sign a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal with Sally Hansen, after drawing international attention for sporting brightly painted nails on the court.
“Self-care time … for me is nail painting,” the first-year guard told his nearly 3 million TikTok followers. “Sorry if that offends any of you guys.”
McCain, a clutch player on Duke’s roster, racked up a 21-point average across the university’s four tournament games during March Madness. He’s an expected first-round 2024 NBA Draft pick.
Sally Hansen this week announced the NIL partnership, in which college athletes can receive financial compensation.
In a TikTok post captioned “Sally Hansen is the GOAT,” the college athlete reinforced his love for nail polish while painting his nails “Duke Blue” with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri.
“I’m gonna tell you guys why I paint my nails. There’s really no crazy reason to it. It helps me not bite my nails," he said.
“I went into a salon one time and I decided to pick out a color, and I thought it looked nice. I know a lot of people disagree, a lot of people don’t like it, but I’m just gonna be myself,” he said.
“I had a game after I painted my nails and I ended up playing really well,” McCain said. “I’m not crazy superstitious but I thought it looked nice, I thought it helped me play better, and so far it’s worked. So I’m just gonna keep doing it.”
Duke has embraced its star player’s affinity for nail colors, releasing an official Jared McCain Polish Shirt on its NIL store.
“Jared McCain caught our eye with his striking nail styles, showcasing his vibrant self-expression, all while simultaneously shining as a standout player on the court,” said Kevin Shapiro, an executive with Sally Hansen’s parent company, Coty.
“He’s continued to remain true to himself, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Sally Hansen family.”