NBA star Kawhi Leonard wants to know, “What it do, baby?” Even those who have no idea what is going on in the world of basketball are enjoying a meme inspired by the Toronto Raptor player.
Fellow Raptor Serge Ibaka posted a Snapchat video of Leonard uttering the iconic phrase after the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championship on June 15. The clip was reposted to Twitter by user @MSlickk, gaining over 800,000 views and 35,000 likes.
My guys! Kawhi kills me pic.twitter.com/oiKFPnlCBX
— M. (@MSlickk) June 15, 2019
The NBA star’s reply attained meme status when a shortened version of the clip was posted later this month, earning over 25 million views.
Users began using Leonard as a reaction meme, especially applying it to dating struggles. It’s exactly the type of phrase you hear when “men answer the phone after the’ve watched you call their ass about 10 times” or “when she remove all the boyfriend pictures and start tweeting men ain’t shit.”
This is how men answer the phone after the’ve watched you call their ass about 10 times….
— Jee Boujee 👩🏾💻✨ (@AjeeNichelle) June 18, 2019
https://t.co/KJzzn8ep7L
When she blocks me on everything, but i *67 & she picks up https://t.co/1YrybEVevY
— free (@frmefrmmyslf) June 24, 2019
Me finally unblocking him after almost a month
— Hermit🥀👑 (@DeawnaaMarie) June 25, 2019
When she remove all the boyfriend pictures and start tweeting men ain’t shit. https://t.co/Hc4upfxRlS
— White Lion (@iLeonTR) June 17, 2019
Users applied the meme to some of the most relatable and disappointing moments in life.
https://twitter.com/christhek1d/status/1143744691340369921
Me after being absent the whole semester then meeting with the professor so he can bump my
— PrettyawesomeCool (@Prttyawsmcool) June 24, 2019
C into an A
One user perfectly summed up the feeling that comes with a low account balance and monthly subscriptions.
Me: Damn my account lookin kinda low lemme chill
— 6’7 Igwe (@SheWantsTheVic) June 24, 2019
Apple Music: pic.twitter.com/UDxS1NsdhD
As it turns out, “what it do, baby?” is a fitting reaction for a pretty wide range of situations, from being ghosted to graduating from college to when Clippy pops up in Windows 97.
When a baby hands u a toy and u have no idea what it does pic.twitter.com/75fwWQgy4m
— Unbiased Sports Fan (@ImDavidSisneros) June 22, 2019
— Joe Lanza (@JoeLanzaIV) June 25, 2019
This week, Leonard declined the Raptors’ 2019-20 player option worth more than $20 million to become a free agent. Ahead of deciding his next move, he reportedly plans to meet with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. We’re guessing he plans to ask the teams who want him, “What it do, baby?”
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H/T Know Your Meme