Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James got more than just the “Happy Birthday” song on Tuesday during his birthday battle against the Detroit Pistons.
As he warmed up for his iconic chalk toss, James got serenaded with “You Are My Sunshine” by the capacity crowd at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. The four-time MVP ignored the singing, instead staying locked in just moments before tip-off.
The arena is singing “You Are My Sunshine” to LeBron James —
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 31, 2025
This is wild. 🤣🤣
(via @LADEig)
pic.twitter.com/T9rFhAeFLT
Based on James’ self-awareness of his social media presence, he surely understands the reasoning behind the song choice. The Lakers star is often the subject of various memes, with one in particular involving fans calling LeBron their “sunshine” in posts that include an edited photo of James illuminated like a sun.
On this day 2 years ago, one of the earliest examples of the LeBron James "You Are My Sunshine" meme was posted by TikToker 'lukesher17'. pic.twitter.com/vOAmDNOTBz
— Know Your Meme (@knowyourmeme) December 29, 2025
With Austin Reaves out for at least a month due to a grade 2 calf strain, the Lakers surely need James to be a guiding light for the next few weeks.
James entered Tuesday as the greatest birthday scorer of all time. Among players with at least 5 games played on their birthday, James’ 32.9 points per game average ranks first in NBA history.
The Lakers surely need James to play like it’s his birthday every time for the next month or so, given that Austin Reaves is out for at least a month due to a grade 2 calf strain.
