Cleveland Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson was in complete shock when he found out LeBron James showed him love after his breakout game Thursday night ... giving a hilarious reaction to the shoutout!!
25-year-old Johnson balled out against the Denver Broncos in his first NFL start, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown on the ground and adding 22 yards through the air.
LeBron -- a diehard Browns fan as of a few years ago -- took note of the performance and tweeted his support for DJ Thursday night ... saying, "D’ Ernest Johnson on 1 tonight!