guides
What Is The 'Lakers In 5' Meme? Shannon Sharpe's Famous Catchphrase And The Viral TikTok Edits Explained
Sports commentator Shannon Sharpe has a famous catchphrase that you've probably heard in viral NBA edits happening on TikTok right now. It's called "Lakers in 5."
Sharpe has said it multiple times on national TV over the past five years. He's on ESPN's First Take with Stephen A. Smith and he recently brought it back on air, causing a slew of "Lakers in 5" memes. The posts are now spreading far outside of the Los Angeles Lakers fanbase.
So, where did this meme come from? What does "Lakers in 5" mean and when did Shannon Sharpe first say it? Let's explain.
When Did Shannon Sharpe Say 'Lakers In 5?'
As far as we know, the first time that Shannon Sharpe said, "Lakers in 5," was on August 31st, 2020, during an episode of Undisputed with Skip Bayless.
They were talking about the LA Lakers just defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in a seven-game series during that year's "bubble playoffs." The Lakers with LeBron James ended the series in five games.
At one point, Bayless brought up Blazers player Hassan Whiteside but Sharpe was not having it. He started spontaneously rhyming, "Whiteside, backside, sunny side, Lakers in 5," followed by a belly laugh.
What Does 'Lakers In 5' Mean?
In line with the first clip, "Lakers in 5" is a prediction that the Los Angeles Lakers will win a seven-game playoff series in only five games. In basketball, this is usually considered a commanding performance, second best to a four-game sweep.
Sharpe has continued to say his viral catchphrase in the years since the original. He seems to bring it up every NBA Playoffs when discussing the Lakers. Of course, he always leads it with three rhymes.
Where Did The 'Lakers In 5' Meme Come From?
One of the first memes to joke about Shannon Sharpe's "Lakers in 5" catchphrase was posted by Sharpe himself in 2021. The image macro showed Sharpe photoshopped as LeBron James and a rhyming top caption reading, "Chris Paul, Cliff Paul, Jake Paul, Logan Paul… LAKERS IN 5!"
What's The 'Lakers In 5' Edit Trend On TikTok?
The "Lakers in 5" meme, as we know it today, is inseparable from a recent TikTok trend in which sports clip editors splice together three viral videos that rhyme, followed by Sharpe's catchphrase and highlights of LeBron James or Luka Doncic.
The trend started last month when Sharpe resurrected his "Lakers in 5" catchphrase on First Take with Stephen A. Smith. An editor named @lakers.mortel shared the first edit but it was rather bare bones — it only included Sharpe's recent soundbite and LeBron highlights.
A few weeks later, a different editor named @soloszn_ shared the first known iteration of the edit template that defines the trend. It used three clips that rhymed, "Lonzo Fall," "Tacko Fall" and "It ain't our ball."
The clips chosen for the rhyming section only got more insane as more editors joined in on the fun.
@soloszn_ “Lakers in 5” #edit #lebron #viral #fyp #nba #lakersin5 ♬ original sound – 🕸️
@chaserrr.cc Lakers in 5🖐️ #edit #capcut #basketball #fyp #abc ♬ original sound – Chase
For the full history of Lakers in 5, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
