Dave McMenaminOct 7, 2025, 07:55 PM ET
- Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
- Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James’ “Second Decision” tease on social media on Monday didn’t cause the Los Angeles Lakers to waste a second worrying if their star was suddenly announcing plans to retire.
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“We all knew it was an ad, right?” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after practice on Tuesday.
Redick then cracked to the group of reporters around him: “You guys are idiots.”
Although Lakers players and coaches knew better than to worry about James’ X post that previewed “the decision of all decisions” to appear the next day on his social media account, some in the general public were duped until James revealed the purpose of the post on Tuesday.
In an advertisement for Hennessy cognac, James sat down for an interview while wearing a red and white checkered shirt — referencing his made-for-TV special that aired on ESPN in 2010 when he announced his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and take his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat.
In the liquor spot, James says he is going to take his talents to Hennessy VSOP.
A compilation of Lakers reactions to LeBron James’ The Decision 2.0:
Rui Hachimura – “He loves to do that type of stuff”
Austin Reaves: “I got a couple calls, like, ‘What is this?'”
JJ Redick – “You guys are idiots” pic.twitter.com/SiujD19E9w— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 7, 2025
Redick, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura all said they had their phones flooded with texts after James’ post.
“I think most people that text me are also aware that it’s probably an ad,” Redick said. “So it wasn’t … nobody was freaking out.”
Hachimura said he texted James to get the information straight from the source, and James responded with an emoji — but Hachimura wouldn’t share which emoji.
“He loves to do that type of stuff,” Hachimura said of James. “Surprises, right?”
Reaves said he did get some phone calls asking about James’ intent.
“People [were] thinking that he was retiring,” Reaves said. “I’m glad he’s not. That’s all I can say.”
Reaves was asked if he has ever tried the product that James was hawking and replied that he doesn’t drink alcohol.
Then he added: “If I start, I guess it’ll be that.”
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