The British singer had attended the game with her partner, Rich Paul, and was sitting next to music icon Mary J. Blige as she watched the game courtside.
However, when the NBA showed her on screen, Adele appeared to intentionally and pointedly ignore the cameras while repeatedly smacking her lips together.
In fact, Adele couldn’t have looked more disinterested and annoyed in the 14-second clip, and a gif of the moment was promptly created as she inadvertently became a meme.
In the two years since Adele’s outing, social media users everywhere have turned to the iconic moment when in need of a reaction gif, and Adele finally decided to reveal the story behind it during her Las Vegas residency last week.
Speaking to the crowd part way through her Weekends with Adele show on Saturday, she referenced the fact that her appearance at the game was soon after she had reluctantly postponed her much-anticipated residency less than 24 hours before opening night — something that she later called “the worst moment” in her career so far.
She then explained: “I know it sounds crazy, but I really don’t like being famous, right? I know I’m sitting courtside at a basketball game, I’m asking for it, whatever, but Rich was working the room and talking to players and people, I was fine, I didn’t mind. I was just there on my own, looking for Michael Jordan, to be honest with you.”
“The people with the camera came and asked me twice,” Adele continued. “They were like: ‘Do you mind if we film you? Can we put you on the screen?’ I said: ‘Please don’t. Please don’t. I just canceled Vegas, I really don’t want to.’ They came back and they filmed me.”
Poking fun at her appearance in the clip, she said: “The reason my lips look like I had filler — because I have naturally big lips and don’t need filler — the reason I looked like a different person was because I was sulking. Because I was like: ‘These motherfuckers have come back and are filming me against my will.’”
Adele went on to admit: “I didn’t realize they were airing it on TV. I thought it was just in the room! But anyway, I just wanted to give some context, because I was ignoring, looking everywhere but in the camera, because I was very annoyed because I asked not to be filmed. But I guess I was asking for it by going.”
The star rounded off by joking: “Also my face is very memeable, I can’t help it.”
And fans have been left more than satisfied by Adele’s explanation, with many praising the hilarious way that she delivered the story as they called for her to get her own stand-up comedy special.
Adele has become renowned for how personable her Vegas shows are since they kicked off in November 2022, with the star often taking the time to speak with fans between songs.
