LeBron James caused quite a stir earlier this week on social media, and ESPN’s most prominent figure had some criticism for the 40-year-old superstar for his stunt.
LeBron James Causes A Stir With Hennessy Advertisement
On Monday, James teased a “Second Decision”. He shared a short preview clip that was obviously modeled after the infamous “Decision” in which he announced that he was leaving Cleveland 15 years ago, and many believed that some groundbreaking news was on the way.
James is entering his NBA record 23rd season in 2025, and there has been plenty of speculation about when he will opt for retirement. He is still playing at a high level, but the league’s all-time leading scorer is racking up mileage on his body, and “Father Time” could come knocking in the coming years or even months.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 7, 2025
So with the 2025-26 season set to begin in just a couple of weeks, the basketball world was wondering what LeBron James had up his sleeve when he captioned the 10-second video with “The decision of all decisions.”
Rumors swirled, and we even saw a vast increase in ticket prices for certain games on the Los Angeles Lakers’ schedule.
All the hubbub ended up being for nothing more than an advertisement. On Tuesday, the entire clip was released, and the “Second Decision” ended up being a commercial for Hennessy.
Stephen A Smith Criticized James On Wednesday
The stunt didn’t set well with a portion of the NBA fan base, and ESPN’s Stephen A Smith weighed in on First Take during Wednesday morning’s broadcast:
“I don’t understand why (James) would stoop to try to garner attention for himself with something other than trying to win a damn championship.”
Smith went on to call the stunt “cringy” and “corny as hell”.
LeBron James and his Lakers have new life after trading for Luka Dončić last season, and they are looking to make the most of the twilight years of his career.
Breaking: LeBron James is NOT retiring from the NBA ‼️🔥
Rumors began to circulate after James posted a video titled “The Second Decision,” but it turned out to be an ad pic.twitter.com/4KLG0ToDq2
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 7, 2025
But despite their star power, Los Angeles will enter the season with just the 5th-shortest odds of any team to win the Western Conference, coming in with a designation of +950. The Western Conference appears stacked with talented teams for the upcoming season, and it will be an uphill climb if the Lakers hope to make any noise.
And according to Stephen A Smith, the noise that James made with his preseason advertisement is the wrong kind.
