LeBron James is well aware of the memes fans make about him, as he proved Tuesday.
The Lakers star recently shared a clip from an ad for Hennessy, where he leaned into the fan-created narrative that he only reads the first page of every book he reads.
Basketball fans have often seen James’ humorous side through social media, with memes about the star ranging from “Taco Tuesday” to the famous shot of him looking angrily confused at JR Smith’s blunder in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals.
With the new viral clip playing along with the fun, here’s the background information about the meme of James only reading the first page of books.
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LeBron James first page meme, explained
Fans have poked fun at the amount of photos across social media of James reading books where he seems not to have made it past the first page. That includes a shot of him reading “The Hunger Games” while playing for the Miami Heat.
LeBron always being on the first page has to be part of some larger conspiracy… https://t.co/gLDGRIJQOn pic.twitter.com/rHpxXGQ8md
— Matt Modderno (@MattModderno) September 4, 2024
Maybe the photos are coincidental, or maybe James has done it intentionally, but fans have had a good time sharing the meme.
To add into the speculation, James was spotted holding “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” in his hand a few years ago while meeting with the media. A reporter asked him what his biggest takeaway was, and some fans joked that James wasn’t actually reading it after he started his answer by saying of the book: “I just started it a couple days ago.”
James hopped in on the fun around his reading habits with a new clip sponsored by Hennessy.
In his recent ad, James is relaxing by the pool reading a fake book called “The First Page” with a bottle of the famous cognac.
In an ad for Hennessy, LeBron James is trolling fans by reading a book called “The First Page” while being on the first page. ?
[via IG// @KingJames] pic.twitter.com/K3U5r3zhog
— BASKETBALL ON ? (@BASKETBALLonX) September 17, 2024
LeBron James Hennessy deal
While there isn’t any information on the specifics of a deal between James and Hennessy, he has publicly partnered with the company in the past.
In February, James arrived to a game wearing a jacket that said “Hennessy” across the front.
LeBron James debuted an upcoming Hennessy x Mitchell & Ness collab in the tunnel last night. ?
The collection will be on display during #NBAAllStar Weekend in Indianapolis and is set to release later this year. pic.twitter.com/t9fNCbMH4J
— Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) February 14, 2024