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LeBron James’s Face Became a Meme During Game 1. After Game 2, He Explained the Special Meaning Behind It.

Andy Nesbitt|
LeBron James and the Lakers are up 2-0 on the Rockets in their first-round series.
LeBron James and the Lakers are up 2-0 on the Rockets in their first-round series. | @NBA

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LeBron James has done a lot in his legendary NBA career. He’s won four championships with three different franchises. He’s broken numerous records. And he continues to do amazing things every time he takes the floor, even at the age of 41.

Oh, and he’s also become the unofficial king of the memes.

If you’ve ever typed his name into your GIF keyboard or searched “LeBron James meme” on the internet, then you already know this. You also know that with the NBA playoffs in full swing, there are probably going to be a whole bunch of new LeBron James memes popping up as the Lakers try to contend for another NBA crown.

It didn’t take long for that to happen, as James’s facial expression during one key moment in Los Angeles’ Game 1 win over the Rockets last weekend instantly became yet another funny meme that is still going viral days later.

Here’s that look he made, in case you missed it:

Here’s some of the fun NBA fans had with it:

LeBron James addressed that meme after the Lakers’ Game 2 win over the Rockets

The funny part about this new LeBron James meme, beyond the faces he’s making, is that not only has he seen it, but he also addressed it after Tuesday night’s Game 2 win at home over the Rockets.

James explained that his expressions were directed at Marcus Smart. He said the two veteran players, who have only been teammates on the Lakers for one season, can communicate together on the court without saying a word.

“You guys seen the meme after Game 1,” James said to reporters in the Lakers locker room on Tuesday night. “I can look at him and he can know what the hell I’m talking about. He can relate to me.”

Marcus Smart has come up big for the injury-depleted Lakers so far in the playoffs

Smart has seen his role increase a lot so far in the playoffs, thanks to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves being out with injuries. The 32-year-old guard scored 15 points in 34 minutes in Game 1 and then backed that up with 25 points in 35 minutes in Game 2. The Lakers won both of those games and are now just two wins away from advancing to the next round.

Smart and James faced each other a lot before becoming teammates this year in Los Angeles. Smart played his first nine seasons in Boston before being traded to the Grizzlies before the 2023 season.

After Tuesday night’s win, he spoke about what it’s like to play alongside James.

"His IQ of the game, he picks his spots very well, and he stays very poised,” Smart said. “There's times where you see things starting to get out of control, and he's still calm. That's what happens when you know you've been in this league for 23 years doing what he does. ... So, we appreciate him."

James also appreciates Smart and what he brings to the team.

"He's not afraid of the moment," James said after Game 2. "He's always been assigned some of the best players that [have] ever played this game in his career. So to have someone like that, it just brings a lot of composure to our team.”

Smart, meanwhile, is just thankful to be back in the playoffs and coming up big for his teammates when they need him to make something happen.

“I’m very grateful to be doing this,” Smart said. “I thank God every day because I could have been out of the league, right, with injuries and things like that. So to be able to be back on this stage again and making the plays that I’m making with these guys and this organization, I’m just grateful.”

James and Smart will look to keep things rolling in Game 3, which is Friday night in Houston at 8 p.m. ET.

More NBA Playoffs on Sports Illustrated

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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