Where Did the Man Crying Meme Come from? Exact Scene Footage, Video Sources, and Templates
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
On September 11, 2009, Michael Jordan took the podium at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, to accept his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia knelt near the stage, capturing hundreds of frames as the intensely competitive basketball icon delivered a raw, defiant speech. As Jordan reflected on his career, tears streamed down his cheeks, catching the bright stage lights against his dark suit jacket.
Savoia’s photograph lay dormant in the AP wire catalog for nearly three years. Its satirical resurgence began on sports forum Message Board Rehab around 2012 before migrating to Twitter during the 2014 NBA playoffs. Photoshoppers isolated Jordan’s streaming eyes and downturned mouth, pasting the cut-out face onto athletes, politicians, and pop stars who had suffered embarrassing public defeats.
Jordan himself largely avoided commenting on the image until February 2020. Speaking at the public memorial for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Jordan felt tears rolling down his face once again. Looking out at the arena, he smiled wryly through the grief and quipped: "Now he’s got me, I'm gonna have to look at another crying meme for the next three years." The room erupted in laughter, formally closing the loop between the man and the viral symbol.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
