#LeBroning goes viral

 

A new meme was born last night, once again at the expense of Miami Heat star forward LeBron James.

The meme, #LeBroning, is flooding social media in response to James being carried off of the court in the waning minutes of the first game of the NBA Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. 

The game, played in San Antonio, was heated from the start when the air conditioning failed at the AT&T Center. Temperatures skyrocketed as high as 88 degrees, with players and fans alike struggling to cope with the conditions.

James, who was experiencing visible difficulty in dealing with the sweltering temperature, was carried off of the court by team staff due to cramping issues. The Spurs then rallied, winning the game 110-95.

 

Following the game, fans took to social media to joke about the incident, giving birth to the meme. According to analytics from hashtags.org, Twitter users utilizing the hashtag spiked late Thursday night, with an estimated 13,600 users per hour adopting it.

Pictures using the meme often showed people being carried by the friends in a manner similar to James leaving the court. 

'I did everything that I needed to do to prepare for this game,' said James in a statement Friday. 'I was angry in the fact that I couldn't help my team get over the hump. In a huge Game 1, I wanted to make a statement.'

When asked about the #LeBroning craze, James replied 'This is about the Spurs and the Heat, and it's not about everybody else. I don't care.'