The Crying Jordan meme uses a photo from what 2009 event?

The Crying Jordan meme uses a photo from Michael Jordan’s 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia took the source photograph on September 11, 2009, while Jordan was giving his induction speech. Jordan is visibly emotional, with tears in his eyes and his hands near his face. The image was not originally created as a meme.

The photograph circulated online before the familiar meme format emerged. It was used without modification in 2012 to comment on Jordan’s purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats, and the isolated crying face appeared on message boards such as Boxden.com in 2014. The meme reached mainstream attention in late 2015 and early 2016.

A common mix-up is confusing the ceremony with a game or awards event. The photograph was taken at the Basketball Hall of Fame induction, not during an NBA Finals celebration, an All-Star halftime show, or an Olympic ceremony. Jordan’s later emotional public appearances, including his 2020 Kobe Bryant memorial speech, also generated comparisons to the meme.