LeBron James might not be killing it on the court for the Lakers this season so far, but he certainly is doing his rounds across social media as “LeCap James”. King James might be one of the best players to ever grace the game of basketball, but his lies or habit of “capping” has been a matter of abundant trolling.
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While various instances from the past had already made it a matter of discussion, recent events further triggered a storm of memes. LeBron’s statement post the death of Migos rapper Takeoff fueled the recent avalanche of jokes on James’ “capping”.
Also read: “LeBron James Coaches Himself”: Skip Bayless Trashes Lakers Superstar Over Horrible 3-Pt Shooting
The Lakers star claimed to have been a fan of Migos since 2010, while the group released their first mixtape only in 2011. This started a meme trend of LeBron capping and has given birth to a slew of hilarious memes about the aging superstar.
And it appears James is aware of the same. On The Shop, LeBron even leaned into the “cap” persona, narrating an anecdote in a manner that fit the meme template to the dot.
How did LeBron James lean into his “capping” persona on The Shop?
LeBron’s fandom for the NFL is known to all. In light of former NFL star Leroy Butler’s induction to the Green Bay Packers ring of honor, James decided to embrace meme culture in a viral moment.
The one thing a majority of NFL fandom associates with Leroy Butler is his iconic Lambeau Leap. After making an interception, Butler famously leaped into the crowd at Lambeau Field in a celebratory manner.
This moment attained immortality in NFL culture and elevated Leroy Butler’s popularity and status. So, naturally, with him being honored by the Packers, the leap gained relevance yet again.
And it was in reference to the Lambeau Leap that James embraced his own meme.
“I literally talked to Leroy Butler the day before that game. He told me if he gets an interception, he’s leaping into the crowd” said LeBron. Leaning into jokes that are going viral about himself is quite a self-aware move from King James. The reactions of the rest of the gang in The Shop are exactly how our meme-fed community feels about this instance.
While this marks the acknowledgment of the joke by James, it also comes with a caveat. Will the widely spread moments of iconic “capping” come to an end or will LeBron commit himself to an insufferable level with the self-aware jokes? Only time can tell.
For now, this moment is one to cherish. It isn’t every day that a superstar of James’ level acknowledges and embraces a meme phase on himself. A huge day for the meme community indeed.
What are some other instances of LeBron “capping” from the past?
As NBA Twitter delved deep into LeBron lying or “capping”, various instances from the past met the surface. One high-profile moment involved footballer Marcus Rashford. When the Manchester United star joined LeBron James for an interview, he revealed from a former coach of his which inspired him.
And the moment Rashford finished the quote, LeBron came out to say “That’s my favorite saying”.
From the manner in which James says it and doubles down on it, it appeared to the public eye as a lie. And this example was used considerably in LeBron “capping” compilations.
But the funniest instance and the origin of the meme template is James’ Kobe Bryant story.
LeBron nonchalantly “predicting” Kobe’s 81-point outing against the Raptors is a Hall of Fame moment for the NBA fandom. This has to be the wildest lie from King James and was deservedly celebrated as the face of the memes that are all the rage today.
LeBron may be one of the most talented players of all time but seems to be a really bad liar. Whether that is to be construed as a flaw or a sign of innocence is up for interpretation.
Regardless, LeCap is a trend now and doesn’t seem to be one that bucks out of relevance for a while.
