LeBron James has been at the center of a whirlwind of memes and online jokes over the years, but some of them last longer than seasonal jokes, such as the "Can't Believe This My Life or LeBron Smiling" meme, which has been used on social media since early 2018.

The smiling image of the basketball superstar paired with his caption expressing disbelief at life’s circumstances has become a viral exploitable format going into the 2020s.

Here's what you need to know about the Can't Believe This My Life meme and the evolution of its related catchphrase "Smiling Through It All."

What Is The LeBron Smiling Meme?

The LeBron Smiling Meme originates from an Instagram story LeBron James posted in February 2018, shortly after Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham advised him to "shut up and dribble" following his comments about then-President Donald Trump.

The image shows LeBron looking cheerful and relaxed while standing in a pool, accompanied by the caption, "Smiling through it all, can't believe this my life." This combination of imagery and text quickly resonated with fans and internet users alike as it transformed into a wide array of memes and jokes over the following months.

How Is LeBron James 'Can't Believe This My Life' Used In Memes?

LeBron's smiling image took a few months to truly go viral on social media, but it was easily adopted as a reaction image as it was often used to express various feelings, including irony, disbelief and resilience.

For instance, in September 2021, the X page @XXL posted a version of the meme edited to read, "Suffering tremendously through it all."

The versatility of the meme allows users to easily customize it with different captions to fit different situations, leading to countless variations in its usage.

For example, in May 2024, X user @my_chappie posted a version of the meme with some of the words blacked out so it reads, "I can't do this anymore."

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For the full history of LeBron Smiling, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.