LeBron James Retirement Is All Gag: NBA Superstar 'Exit' Was All For An Ad And Now Fans Are Furious

LeBron James' recent 'second decision' announcement, which many believed would have marked the end of his legendary career, turned out to be something entirely different, and that has left the basketball world in a swirl of confusion and criticism. NBA fans are not happy, as this allegedly led to them losing money.

After teasing 'The Decision of All Decisions' and invoking the language of his infamous 2010 televised special, LeBron set speculation and rumours rolling like never before that he would retire or make a monumental career move. Instead, the reveal turned out to be a promotional ad campaign. What followed was a barrage of accusations that he'd misled his fans with some really angry reactions.

Why Lebron James' 'Second Decision' Was So Controversial

The storm around this began when LeBron shared a cryptic post across his social media channels. It was a short video showing him walking toward a chair and sitting opposite an unspecified person, captioned 'The Decision of All Decisions. October 7th. 12 pm EST. #TheSecondDecision.' This obviously led to fans thinking its about his retirement as given his age (40, soon turning 41), the length of his career, and his expiring contract with the Lakers, fans and media immediately leapt to the conclusion that this might be LeBron's final goodbye to basketball.

But it didn't stop there. The hype was further ignited by the symbolic parallels to his 2010 'The Decision' special, in which he had announced his move from Cleveland to the Miami Heat on live television. At the time this had shaken up the NBA world and to this day it remains one of the most scrutinized moments of his career despite all the history he created with Miami. Many fans interpreted LeBron's mimicry of the original 'Decision' from the walking to the chair to the timing a serious callback allegedly engineered to maximize his virality and viewership.

And this is why money got involved as the collateral effects were immediate. Possibly thinking that Lebron might retire soon, tickets for the Lakers' final home game of the upcoming regular season, against the Utah Jazz, which had reportedly started at around US $82 approx £64, surged massively to at least US $580 approx £452 after the teaser dropped. And it seems like believing the rumours some fans reportedly bought the expensive tickets because they thought it might be the last chance to see LeBron play in a Lakers jersey.

What Lebron James' 'Decision of all Decisions' Really Was

After all that hype, when the moment of truth finally arrived, it was not a retirement announcement at all nor was it a career changing decision by Lebron James, it turned out to be a partnership reveal. LeBron declared that he would be 'taking his talents to Hennessy V.S.O.P.' in which he signaled the launch of a limited edition cognac collaboration, not an ending to his playing days in the NBA.

Hennessy officials described the campaign

'Where the first moment marked a pivotal career move, this second decision celebrates a creative reunion and shared cultural legacy,' they added more about the decision saying it's 'a bold collector's edition that invites fans to connect, celebrate, and share in a new era of sociability.'

As per reports, the brand also released a limited edition orange bottle bearing LeBron's name and his signature 'crowning' pose, tying the product to his public persona as 'King James.' Moreover, even the rollout timing tripped over itself as per reports since the reveal was made public about 90 minutes ahead of schedule due to changes in LeBron's schedule. To add to the chaos his language in the promo mirrored his old 'take my talents to South Beach' phrasing, reinforcing the unmistakable echo of that earlier moment that had allegedly misled fans.

So, Lebron James is not retiring. He still has a player option contract and plans to continue in the NBA as of this writing. This big 'second decision' reveal did draw attention to his ongoing on court career. Last season according to reports, LeBron averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists, placing sixth in MVP voting.No matter the backlash he is also already the NBA's all time leading scorer and minutes leader, with possibilities to extend those records even further.

Fans Furious at Lebron James

It was natural to expect NBA fans losing it when this 'second decision' announcement that turned out to be an ad campaign by Lebron James revealed its truth. Fans did not hold back as they shot back at James on social media.

Regardless of the criticism, Lebron James did get all the attention on his new campaign.