Crying Jordan
Michael Jordan crying at his 2009 Hall of Fame speech — pasted onto every loss, L, and disappointment on the internet.
A reaction image of Michael Jordan tearfully laughing/crying during his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech on September 11, 2009. Editors cut out his face and overlay it on athletes, celebrities, or brands suffering embarrassment or defeat. It is sports internet's default 'take the L' image.
History
Jordan's emotional Hall of Fame speech generated the source footage. Know Your Meme documents meme use beginning around 2012 on Twitter and sports forums, exploding during 2015–2016 NBA playoff threads. The cutout face became template fodder for any public loss — not just basketball.
Cultural scores
Editorial estimates of cultural weight — Current Popularity tracks how much people are posting about this now, not historical fame.
Current Popularity = how actively people are posting about this today. Influence = lasting footprint. Cringe = online reception. Brainrot = absurdist energy. Scores last reviewed 2026-07-25. How scoring works
Timeline
Sep 11, 2009
Jordan's tearful Hall of Fame induction speech
2012
Crying face cutout begins circulating on Twitter and MemeGenerator
2015–2016
Peak NBA playoff meme season — Crying Jordan everywhere
2017+
Crosses into general-purpose 'loss' reaction beyond sports
Examples
- “Team loses playoff series — Crying Jordan on every player photo”
- “Brand tweet backfires — quote tweet with Crying Jordan face”
- “Friend fails an exam — 'Jordan crying' reaction image”
Media
Crying Jordan — Know Your Meme
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/crying-jordan
Related entries
Culturally linked — not random recommendations.
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Hide the Pain Harold
MemeHungarian stock-photo model András Arató — whose forced smile became the internet's face of polite suffering and fake enthusiasm.
Bad Luck Brian
MemeThe awkward yearbook-photo advice animal that became the internet's go-to face for misfortune, failure, and comically bad timing.
Success Kid
MemeThe fist-pumping baby photo that became the internet's universal emoji for small victories and personal wins.
Stop It, Get Some Help
MemeMichael Jordan's 1987 anti-drug PSA line — clipped and captioned whenever someone posts unhinged or self-destructive behavior online.
David After Dentist
MemeDavid DeVore Jr. after anesthesia — 'is this real life?' — the 2009 YouTube clip that defined post-dentist meme energy.
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Ancient Aliens Guy
MemeGiorgio A. Tsoukalos from History Channel's Ancient Aliens — the wild-haired presenter whose gesture means 'aliens did it.'
References
Sources behind this entry. Prefer primary reporting and established culture archives over rumor.
- Crying Jordan — Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org