Where Did the Crying Jordan Meme Come From?
The Crying Jordan meme is a photo of Michael Jordan with tears streaming down his face, usually Photoshopped onto the loser of any game, election or embarrassing moment. It is the most durable sports reaction meme ever made.
Where the photo came from
The image was shot by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia on September 11, 2009, at Jordan’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts. Jordan teared up during his acceptance speech — a genuinely emotional career milestone, not a defeat.
Savoia didn’t even know his photo had gone viral until a Wall Street Journal reporter called him years later to ask about it.
How it became a meme
The meme spread slowly, then all at once:
- 2012 — the unedited photo was first used to mock Jordan’s decision to buy the Charlotte Bobcats.
- 2014 — posters on the message board Boxden began cutting out just the crying face and pasting it onto other people.
- Late 2015–2016 — “Crying Jordan” hit the mainstream, becoming the default way to dunk on anyone who lost at anything.
Its biggest moment of irony came on November 22, 2016, when President Barack Obama awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom — and joked about the meme during the ceremony.
Why it works
The face is perfectly ambiguous: it reads as devastation, but it was actually a moment of pride. That mismatch is what makes it endlessly reusable — paste it on a winner, a loser, a politician, a cartoon, and it still lands.
Sources: Wikipedia, Sports Illustrated.
FAQ
- What photo is the Crying Jordan meme from?
- It's an Associated Press photo taken by Stephan Savoia during Michael Jordan's Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech on September 11, 2009, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Why was Michael Jordan crying?
- He wasn't sad — he became emotional while giving his acceptance speech as he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
- When did Crying Jordan become a meme?
- The photo circulated as early as 2012, the cut-out face appeared on forums around 2014, and it exploded into mainstream use in late 2015 and 2016.
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