76ers' Jared McCain Tears UCL In Thumb Day After Bench-Press Joke

Jared McCain's playful mood is in jeopardy on Thursday -- just hours after the 76ers star had a laugh with fans over his 2.5-pound bench press photoshoot, he tore a ligament in his thumb during team workouts.

Philadelphia announced the injury just minutes ago ... saying its shooting guard suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb and is "consulting with specialists on next steps and further updates will be provided as appropriate."

The timing is wild -- McCain, the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, was just having fun with fans who trolled him over recent team visuals.

In an Instagram post, McCain was shown in the new Allen Iverson-era throwbacks the Sixers will wear this upcoming season ... and for some reason, Jared was sitting on a bench press loaded with only 2.5-pound plates.

Instead of getting upset, he had a funny response by saying he's "working on it" ... and even included a clip of himself curling an 8-pound dumbbell.

This is the second year in a row the 21-year-old has dealt with an injury. Last December, Jared tore his meniscus in his left knee, which forced him out of the remainder of the season.

The 76ers' season opener is against the Boston Celtics on October 22.