I'm Pouring Honey on You GOAT — Split image of LeBron James Instagram post next to an AI-generated goat covered in honey

I'm Pouring Honey on You GOAT

2023catchphrasesemi-active

Published October 17, 2026

I'm Pouring Honey on You GOAT began on April 29, 2023, when sports commentator Shannon Sharpe allegedly left the praise under a LeBron James Instagram post about fighting a grizzly bear1. A screenshot shared by X user @LakeShowYo gathered more than 75,000 likes2, and by May 2024 TikTok and X users were posting AI-generated art of honey being poured on a literal goat as a reaction image7.

basketball memes catchphrase memes fake quote memes celebrity reaction memes fandom hype memes

Overview

The joke works as an over-the-top sports fan compliment, so excessive it reads like a parody of the LeBron Glazing style of praise3. In the alleged Instagram comment, Shannon Sharpe used GOAT (an abbreviation for Greatest Of All Time) and seemed to riff on James' grizzly bear caption by offering to pour honey on him instead of letting the bear eat him2. Posters quote the full line or trim it to "pouring honey on you GOAT" when hyping something to absurd levels.

By May 2024, the catchphrase also became a visual joke. X and TikTok users started posting AI-generated images of honey drizzled onto an actual goat, since GOAT literally names the animal7. Those pictures circulate as standalone reaction images, often attached to posts praising a rapper, athlete, or random internet moment8.

Origin & Background

Platform
Instagram (origin) / X (viral spread)
Date
2023

On April 29, 2023, LeBron James posted to Instagram with a caption reading, "If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR 👑," and the post attracted over 4 million likes within a year1. Later that same day, X user @LakeShowYo shared a screenshot of what appeared to be a reply from Shannon Sharpe's account (@shannonsharpe84) reading, "I'm pouring honey on you GOAT. It's illegal to kill a bear unless being attack. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"2. The post went on to collect more than 75,000 likes.

Sharpe's comment was later deleted from the original Instagram thread, and as of May 2024 Know Your Meme noted that it is unconfirmed whether the screenshot is authentic or doctored3.

How It Spread

Hours after @LakeShowYo's post, X user @Dom_2k reshared the screenshot and gathered more than 8,800 likes within a year4. The screenshot sat relatively quiet for months until April 3, 2024, when @Hauntterr reposted a version that cropped out the latter half of Sharpe's reply and captioned it, "Can't stop laughing at this pic man LMAOOO," collecting over 2,400 likes in about a month5. Quote retweets from accounts like @notcrypticno helped spread the revived screenshot further6.

The next phase arrived in May 2024 when the line moved into AI-image territory. On May 5, 2024, TikToker @nemofishy.23 uploaded a Slow Fade-In video of AI art showing honey being poured on an actual goat, which logged roughly 675,100 plays and 87,100 likes within fifteen days7. Days later on May 10, 2024, X user @ohfold used similar AI art as a reaction post referencing rapper Chief Keef, collecting over 2,000 likes in ten days8.

Timeline

2023-04-29

LeBron James posts the "HELP THE BEAR" Instagram caption, and X user @LakeShowYo shares the alleged Shannon Sharpe reply later the same day.

2023-04-29

X user @Dom_2k reposts the screenshot, which collects over 8,800 likes within a year.

2024-04-03

X user @Hauntterr resurfaces a cropped version of the screenshot, triggering a second viral window.

2024-05-05

TikToker @nemofishy.23 uploads AI art of honey being poured on a goat, logging over 675,100 plays.

2024-05-10

X user @ohfold posts similar AI art as a reaction image referencing Chief Keef.

Loading tweet...

How to Use This Meme

Posters typically use the catchphrase to over-praise someone, especially an athlete or celebrity, imitating excessive LeBron fan comments. The AI-art version works as a reaction image, so users can post the goat picture under anything they want to call the greatest7. Common conventions include quoting the full Sharpe comment, isolating the "pouring honey on you GOAT" line, or sharing the goat image on its own8.

Frequently Asked Questions