LeBron Memes Are Divided: Haters And Rejoicers

Well it's official: After his period of indecision, known as #LeBronWatch2014, LeBron James is returning to Cleveland. That means he's going to be a Cavalier again — something fans couldn't have fathomed in 2010 when he unceremoniously left the Ohio team in favor of the Miami Heat. It must have felt like déjà vu for basketball fans this week as anticipation mounted before James made his announcement, echoing James's controversial 2010 ESPN special The Decision that kept fans and courting teams in suspense before he ditched the Cavaliers.

Now it looks like James has changed his tune.

"When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission," James said in his announcement interview with Sports Illustrated. "I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn't had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what's most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio."

While many Cavalier fans are ecstatic that "the king is coming home," others aren't so quick to forgive and forget his callous exit four years ago. And after a less-than-impressive performance in the Heat's finals with the San Antonio Spurs, it's natural to wonder if maybe his return is tinged with contrition.

Either way, this is mega-huge news for the NBA, and you know what that means: memes, memes, and more glorious memes. Take a look at the two very distinct camps these LeBron memes fall into.

Rejoicers

To LeBron fans in Cleveland, he's still king.

Even Hot in Cleveland's Betty White is looking forward to his return.

Maybe LeBron will give Cleveland Browns fans what they're missing.

The perfect thing to wear to LeBron's welcome home party.

What Cavs fans have been wanting to say for years.

Cavs fans who stayed true to LeBron are feeling pretty smug now.

Haters

Buuuuurn.

Countless memes commented on the blind faith that LeBron fans have, regardless of his behavior.

Haters love pointing out how quickly Cavs fans changed their stance as soon as LeBron announced his return.

They love to point it out.

Uh-oh, Betty White is clearly torn between the two camps. Here she makes a reference to Game 1 in the NBA finals between the Heat and the Spurs, during which the air conditioning was broken. Ironically, the Heat couldn't stand the heat and LeBron even had to be carried off the court.

This meme hilariously references when the Indiana Pacers' Lance Stephenson blew in LeBron's ear to try and distract him.

Basically what LeBron haters think went down between the NBA star and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

For all the hypocrites and fair-weather fans out there, here's the official NBA bandwagon form for you to fill out.

OK, so this doesn't exactly fall into either camp, but we just wanted to share it just cuz. The letter refers to the unfortunate letter typed out in Comic Sans that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert posted on the team's site that basically lambasted LeBron for leaving in 2010. Plus, it's a Notebook reference, so how could we pass it up?

Image: kingjames/Instagram