King James’ freaked out after teammate J. R. Smith made a big mistake that cost Cleveland a game one NBA finals win — and the internet can’t blame him
Disappointed fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers are consoling themselves Thursday night with a hilarious series of memes mocking the infuriating moment Cleveland’s hopes of winning were dashed, and LeBron James realized it.
The first game of the 2018 NBA finals was a nailbiter through and through, with the Cavs and the Golden State Warriors neck-and-neck right up to the end of regular play. Until, that is, Cavs shooting guard J. R. Smith screwed up royally.
The short version: With the score tied, five seconds left on the clock, and Cleveland in possession, Smith got the ball and apparently forgot that the game was tied. Instead of attempting to shoot, or call a time out, Smith held the ball in what appeared to be an attempt to run out the clock. This put the game into overtime, during which GSW romped to a 10-point victory. You can watch the debacle in the tweet below.
It’s an excruciating moment that was best encapsulated by LeBron’s reaction immediately after, which you can see at the top of the post. James scored an amazing 51 points during the game, and clearly, losing because of a teammate’s brain fart pissed him the hell off.
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So yeah, it sucks if you’re a Cleveland fan and it even sucks if you just appreciate what LeBron must be feeling. Enter the internet, which pretty much had LeBron’s back.
Some just had sympathy:
Or perhaps LeBron’s future — no one will be mad if he leaves Cleveland a second time:
Others saw the metaphorical implications:
Some even imagined the scene as a heartstrings-tugging domestic drama.
Of course it wouldn’t be 2018 without a Thanos reference:
On the bright side, LeBron is still amazing.
