During the recent unveiling of the Philadelphia 76ers` new classic uniforms, NBA rookie Jared McCain inadvertently sparked a viral discussion centered not on the retro jerseys, but on his apparent bench press strength. A photograph released by the team showed the 76ers guard posing in an iconic Allen Iverson-era uniform while seated at a bench press station. Observant fans quickly noticed the barbell was loaded with surprisingly small 2.5-pound plates. This detail prompted a user on X (formerly Twitter) to humorously question, “why is jared mccain bench pressing 2.5lb plates?”
The social media post rapidly gained traction, leading McCain to playfully respond via his Instagram story. He initially shared a message stating “Working on it,” accompanied by two sad emojis, before following up with a video of himself comically curling an 8-pound dumbbell.
McCain, widely recognized for his humorous social media presence and boasting 4.4 million TikTok followers, frequently engages his audience with light-hearted content. A previous video featuring him and teammate Kyle Lowry in the 76ers locker room garnered over seven million views last year.
The 21-year-old concluded his rookie season prematurely due to a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, which necessitated surgery in December and subsequently ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Prior to his injury, he had a promising start, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds across 23 games, earning him a coveted spot in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend.
