The NBA world was sent into a panic yesterday when many believed LeBron James could be teasing a retirement announcement. James, ever the puppet master, proved he knew which strings to pull to get people invested into what ultimately ended up being an advertisement for Hennessy.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 7, 2025
After forcing everyone in Ohio to recall the original spectacle of The Decision by announcing The Second Decision, people took to social media on Tuesday just to find out he was taking his talents to Hennessy V.S.O.P. Frustration, annoyance, relief, and a whole whirlwind of other emotions filled the air as James proved to be a masterful capitalist.
Those, much like the person behind this keyboard, who anticipated this would be an ad were of the belief it would be for Amazon, given Prime Days began today. James proved to at least not be that predictable in the end.
It may take some time for fans to get over the emotions stirred up by the rollercoaster caused by LeBron. However, the bigger picture for the Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans ultimately ends up positive after the corny maneuver. A reunion with the greatest player in franchise history is still on the table.
Cleveland still holding out hope for LeBron’s return after retirement talk dies down
Those who want to see the storybook ending for James with the Cavaliers can go to bed peacefully once more. While that possibility remains clouded by finances, it is theoretically still doable in the summer of 2026 if the stars align just right for Cleveland.
It would have been somewhat silly to see LeBron call it a career at the end of the year given how elite his on-court production continues to be. It would be fair to still call the Los Angeles Lakers superstar a top 10 player in the NBA today.
James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.0 steal in 34.9 minutes per game during the 2024-25 season. The NBA's all-time leading scorer did that with a true shooting percentage of 60.4, 7.7 win shares, and 4.7 value over replacement player.
There is little doubt James still has a lot to offer, even at this age. That should serve as a reminder of what LeBron told everyone at the 2023 ESPYs.
James said, "I'm asking myself if I can still play without cheating the game. ... Truth is I've been asking myself this question at the end of the season for a couple years now. I just never openly talked about it. ... The day I can't give the game everything on the floor is the day I'll be done."
Even over two years later, the NBA legend is still performing like someone who can give his teams everything. That should offer those in Cleveland waiting on a reunion plenty of hope that time remains for that move to happen.