Get Ready to Learn Chinese, Buddy phrase is usually posted when an athlete performs badly, gets released from a team, or becomes involved in controversy. It jokingly suggests that the player will have to leave a top league and continue their career in China. Although the meme started in basketball, it has since spread across football, baseball, esports, and even general internet culture.
What Does Get Ready to Learn Chinese, Buddy Mean?
The meme is used as a humorous way of saying that someone’s career at the highest level is over. Instead of staying in a major league like the NBA, the joke suggests the player will have to sign with a team in China’s professional basketball league, commonly known as the CBA.
Fans use the phrase whenever an athlete has a terrible game, repeatedly underperforms, gets traded, or creates controversy that could hurt their career. Over time, the meme expanded beyond sports and is now used whenever someone fails badly or appears to have lost their place in a competitive environment. The original joke is not actually about learning the Chinese language, it is a sarcastic way of saying, “You’re probably going to play in China next.”
Origin of the Meme
The meme began on November 8, 2022, shortly after NBA star Kyrie Irving faced heavy criticism over an antisemitism controversy. A parody Twitter account called @realnbaquotz posted a fake Bleacher Report-style graphic showing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver with the caption:
“Get ready to learn Chinese, buddy.”
The image falsely claimed that Adam Silver had said those words to Irving. In reality, he never made the statement. The graphic was clearly intended as satire, but many users found it funny and began sharing it widely. The fake quote quickly became the foundation for a new meme format.
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How the Meme Spread
After the original tweet gained attention, NBA fans started replying with the image whenever players had disappointing performances. Ben Simmons became one of the earliest targets, and soon nearly every struggling NBA player had someone telling them to “learn Chinese.”
The joke did not stay limited to basketball. Football fans, baseball communities, MMA followers, and esports players all adopted the phrase. Instead of referring only to China’s basketball league, the meme became a general way to say that someone was no longer good enough for elite competition.
Another running joke involved the Shanghai Sharks, a well-known Chinese basketball team that became the imaginary destination for every player supposedly being “sent to China.”
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Why China Is Mentioned
The joke comes from a long-running stereotype in basketball culture that former NBA players often continue their careers overseas after leaving the league. China’s professional basketball league has signed several former NBA players over the years, making it a familiar reference among basketball fans.
The meme exaggerates this idea for comedic effect. It does not literally mean that every struggling athlete will play in China. Instead, it symbolizes being moved from the highest level of competition to a less prestigious league.
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Beyond Basketball
By 2023, the phrase had spread well beyond NBA discussions. Fans began editing the image with different athletes, coaches, esports professionals, and even fictional characters. People also replaced “Chinese” with other languages depending on the situation, creating new variations while keeping the same basic joke.
The meme remains popular because it is easy to understand, works with almost any competitive activity, and can be adapted to current events in sports.
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Did Adam Silver Actually Say It?
No. Adam Silver never told Kyrie Irving to “Get ready to learn Chinese, buddy.” The quote originated from a parody Twitter account and was presented as a fake Bleacher Report graphic. The entire statement was fictional from the beginning, even though many people later shared it without knowing its satirical origin.
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| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Meme Name | Get Ready to Learn Chinese, Buddy |
| Type | Image macro / Sports meme |
| First Appeared | November 8, 2022 |
| Origin Platform | Twitter (now X) |
| Original Subject | Kyrie Irving and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver |
| Original Creator | Parody account @realnbaquotz |
| Meaning | A joke suggesting someone is no longer good enough for a top league |
| Common Usage | Sports, esports, gaming, and internet reactions |
| Famous Reference | China’s CBA and the Shanghai Sharks |
| Was the Quote Real? | No. It was completely fabricated as satire. |
No. The quote is completely fake. It was created by a parody account as satire and was never said by Adam Silver.
The joke comes from the idea that some former NBA players continue their careers in China’s professional basketball league (CBA) after leaving the NBA.
No. Although it started in the NBA community, it is now used across football, baseball, MMA, esports, and even general internet discussions.
The meme was originally connected to Kyrie Irving because it was created during the controversy surrounding him in late 2022.