Aimeé
If you’ve never seen the Crying Jordan Meme, I have to assume you’ve been cryogenically frozen for the last four years. The image of Jordan openly weeping starting circulating last decade and has carried on to 2020.
According to Know Your Meme, the original picture was taken from his 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech. It was a pretty big deal and it’s not surprising that Jordan would get emotional in that moment. He had no idea what memes were lurking around the corner. His crying face started being used on social media platforms every time someone’s favorite team lost, and then pretty much anytime something sad/cringey/ridiculous happened.
Everyone in his life seems to be aware of the Crying Jordan meme, including his sons, and President Barack Obama, who referenced it when he was awarding Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. And yes, Jordan did cry at that ceremony, leading to a meme revival.
But, this week, Jordan himself publicly acknowledged the meme in a much sadder context. While speaking at Kobe Bryant’s memorial, he of course began to cry. For the first time he brought up the meme, and claims he promised his wife he wouldn’t cry, “But that’s what Kobe does to me.”
Jordan storms to the court, dunks in the face of Crying Jordan, kills it forever pic.twitter.com/ap3FIEVFhe
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) February 24, 2020
The audience erupts into huge laughter, which might be familiar to anyone who has been to a funeral. Emotions are running high, and laughter sometimes feels like as much of a release as crying. Because Bryant had so many fans, it seems unlikely that this particularly emotional moment will receive the same level of mockery as his previous crying instances, but who knows? Twitter can be a toxic place.
It does seems as though people commenting on Jordan’s speech are much more moved by his tears than amused by them:
When you see the best player of all time and the best athlete in all history cry like a small child, you realize how important kobe was to the NBA. Marco a generation and even King Jordan, mourns his death like a baby we will never forget you mamba.💔💔💔
— 「魂」「年寄りの」 ♓ 🇪🇸 RM (de Madrid al Cielo) (@Alma_Vieja_41) February 24, 2020
Jordan crying is familiar comfort in difficult times.
