Although LeBron James went quiet on social media leading up to and during the playoffs, the newly minted NBA champion took to Instagram on Monday to show that he heard all the criticism and is happy to have risen above it.
Invoking a popular Internet meme while holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy, theCleveland Cavaliersstar rattled off all the negativity he has heard over the past few years.
James' post came a day after the Cavs completed the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history to knock off the Golden State Warriors and deliver Cleveland its first professional sports title in 52 years.
It wasn't just internet trolls whom James seemed to draw inspiration from. Speaking with ESPN on Sunday night, James revealed that things said by people he personally knew after his departure from the Miami Heat also fueled him.
"When I decided to leave Miami -- I'm not going to name any names, I can't do that -- but there were some people that I trusted and built relationships within those four years [who] told me I was making the biggest mistake of my career," James said.
"And that s--- hurt me. And I know it was an emotional time that they told me that because I was leaving. They just told me it was the biggest mistake I was making in my career. And that right there was my motivation."