NBA Meme Bracket: Vote in the Finals!

Welcome to the Memederdome. After five rounds of voting and just shy of 2 million total votes cast, we’re left with two iconic hoops reaction GIFs. The first, Alonzo Mourning Acceptance, entered the tournament as the East Division’s no. 2 seed and reached the final by running through stalwarts like no. 1 overall meme Crying Jordan and Nick Young Missed 3. The other, Confused Nick Young, was the Midwest Division’s top seed. It toppled Lance Blowing in LeBron’s Ear and Harden Side-eye en route to the championship game. Just a few hours, and your votes, stand between us and a grand champion. There can be only one meme to rule them all.

Vote wisely. Meme history hangs in the balance.

The Championship

(2) Alonzo Mourning Acceptance vs. (1) Confused Nick Young

2. Alonzo Mourning Acceptance: Logging on to Twitter these days is like staring into a sandstorm. Bad news; horrifying news; vaguely troubling news that’s important, but that will become clear only when it’s too late to do anything about it. What to do? How, as thinking and feeling human beings, can we survive this maelstrom with our mental health and sense of self intact? One way is by accepting that there are things beyond our control. And if they negatively affect our sense of self-worth, then simply let them go. That’s what Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning is doing as he transitions from sullen, smoldering fury to head-shaking impotence and finally to acceptance.

1. Confused Nick Young: Nick Young has been called a clown by many people. Perhaps thousands of people. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. Among them: his mother. In the fourth episode of Cassy Athena’s web series Thru the Lens, which focused on a day in the life of Nick Young, his mom, Mae, recounted how, as a youngster, her son used to ball with older players including a former member of the Lakers. These more experienced players, she said, would tell her that if Nick ever got serious, he could “be great.” “But,” she continues, “he was a clown then.” Cue Confused Nick Young face.