Watch LeBron James high five himself after he's left hanging

It's not often LeBron gets rejected.
 By 
Andy Moser
 on 

LeBron James, NBA superstar and GOAT contender, was left hanging on the bench Sunday night when the Lakers faced off against the Atlanta Hawks.

James didn't seem bothered, but there's surprisingly a lot happening in this little three-second clip.

First, the obvious: LeBron reaches out to teammate Dwight Howard for a standard high five. Howard, who is 6'10" and quite used to blocking shots, rejects LeBron in an entirely different way, not even acknowledging the attempt. Howard then slaps hands with a man in a navy blue suit instead.


You May Also Like

Once LeBron notices what just happened, he high fives himself. Because why not? But then, the man in the dark grey suit behind LeBron decides he wants to be a hero. Having witnessed the stone-cold rejection in front of his face, he ponders for a brief moment and then boldly reaches his hand out to LeBron as a consolation. That man is then, left hanging. Oofs all around.

And then there's the man in the light grey suit and tie, whose face reads, How long until Howard gets cut?

As strange and hilarious as it is to see players get left hanging, LeBron is only the latest in a slew of NBA legends to airball a high five.

Thanks to this montage from YouTube channel Hoops Card, you can watch Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, and... LeBron James, again, feel the cold sting of a failed high five. It's as if it's a rite of passage for NBA stardom, which for LeBron, means it was going to happen sooner or later.

Mashable Image
Andy Moser

Andy is a fellow on Mashable's Culture team. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of North Florida in 2018 and moved to New York to pursue journalism in culture and entertainment. He can (and will) talk for too long about Star Wars and movies in general. His fear of stinging insects and 80+ degree weather will keep him inside forever. He wishes he were shorter.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Apple expects high demand from its March 4 releases
apple logo over a smartphone with black background

This $160,000 red-light chamber left my whole body buzzing
timothy werth inside ammortal red light chamber



Everything we know about Chris Pratt's 'Way of the Warrior Kid'
Chris Pratt and Jude Hill in "Way of the Warrior Kid."

More in Life
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma


NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!