Sports Fans Sense A New Meme In 'Sad Terrell Davis'

As longtime internet vets, we at Know Your Meme have seen plenty of goofy sports moments be hailed as the "next big meme" from the sporting world, only to see them turn out to be busts in their proverbial rookie seasons.

Such may be the case for "Sad Terrell Davis," an image that has been hailed by several news publications, including Sports Illustrated, Outkick and Fox News, as a hot new meme spreading on social media.

During the fourth quarter of Sunday's Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat were able to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit and steal a win on the road in Denver, tying the series 1-1. After Heat star Jimmy Butler hit a three-point shot to put the Heat up six midway through the fourth, the camera panned to the crowd and found two Heat fans high-fiving over some Denver fans.

Among those Denver fans was Terrell Davis, a Hall of Fame NFL running back who played his career with the Denver Broncos and is a presumed Nuggets fan. He looked very unhappy with the situation developing both on the court and around him.

Terrell Davis looking like he’s watching the queens funeral will never be not funny 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/w8WWiiqXa3

— Beantown USA (@BeantownUS) June 5, 2023

Several fans caught Davis' forlorn expression amidst Heat fans' joy and agreed it was a very funny situation as the clip quickly spread on social media.

The look from Terrell Davis said it all tonight 😞 pic.twitter.com/CYYPFfWw9o

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 5, 2023

As for whether "Sad Terrell Davis" is a long-lasting meme, that remains to be seen.

Unlike the premiere sad-basketball meme, Crying Michael Jordan, there have yet to be variations or jokes that have moved beyond Davis looking sad in this specific situation. Without malleability, it's quite possible Sad Terrell Davis could be relegated to the annals of sports comedy history as it's superseded by another potential funny moment later in the Finals.