LeBron Hurt His Legacy With Hennessy

LeBron James is entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season. As fans and haters await James’ return to the court in the upcoming weeks, speculation continues to arise surrounding his retirement. The Los Angeles Laker superstar posted a teaser video on Oct. 6 titled “The Second Decision,” playing into the retirement speculation and referencing his first decision special, in which James announced he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and joining star Dwayne Wade in Miami. Fans anticipated that this decision would be of similar importance and would relate to his NBA future, but were shocked and annoyed to find out it was a Hennessy advertisement when the full video dropped on Oct. 7. Hennessy, otherwise known as Jas Hennessy & Cie., is a French company known for cognac production. James had begun partnering with the company as early as 2024 and promoted a line of limited-edition bottles. While most people went on with their days after watching the ad, I was thoroughly irritated with James’s disrespect for his own legacy. 

James’ first decision, commonly known as the Decision, was a monumental moment in sports history. In 2010, James announced the team he would spend the foreseeable future with in a live television special. At its peak, the hour-long ESPN special gathered 13.5 million viewers. Last year’s NBA Finals peaked at 19.3 million viewers in Game 7 — the most-watched final game in six years. The Decision was not only widely televised and viewed but also continues to be referenced repeatedly for its controversy, having caused strain between James and Cleveland, as well as any other teams that tried to sign him. Broadly, James was no longer beloved in Cleveland and was widely vilified by most teams in the NBA. Beyond hate from teams, the NBA fans thought James was disloyal for leaving the Cavaliers, arrogant and vain for making his offseason move a publicity event, and unwilling to work hard to win, opting instead to team up with known stars Wade and Chris Bosh. Regardless of whether these criticisms are fair, James faced intense hatred and criticism and became the NBA’s villain until Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors claimed that role in 2016. James was the first player to ever promote a change in teams through a public, televised announcement, and will likely be the last, too. It’s safe to say that James’ decision was more than just a choice to promote his next move; it was a defining point in the NBA’s history and narrative going forward.

Considering the importance of the Decision, you would think James would treat this part of his history with the utmost respect and care. That’s why I, like many others, treated his announcement of the Second Decision as something serious. I anticipated I would have to cover some weighty decision made on Oct. 7, clearing time to write an article about it. I had even looked up tickets for Lakers games nearby to see James play one last time, and I wasn’t the only one. A Lakers fan, Andrew Garcia, bought two tickets for a game, thinking it would be the last chance to see the star play, and is now suing James for misleading him. Sports pundits like Stephen A. Smith have also expressed their grievances. “If you play like garbage at any point in time when it really really counts,” Smith said. “I’m going to think about that Hennessy commercial and wonder if you were drinking something before the game.” In a moment that captivated fans’ attention again, James pulled the rug out from under us all and made it about Hennessy. 

James’ second decision reminds me of another legend’s retirement: Tom Brady. The New England and Tampa Bay star had teetered on retirement for many years, especially after leaving the Patriots. Also playing into the retirement speculation, Brady teased the end of his NFL career on Jan. 30, 2020, posting a cryptic image of himself in an empty stadium. The teaser, however, turned up to be a Hulu ad. Similarly, people online reacted negatively to it, and the ad, in my opinion, downplayed the importance of Brady’s eventual retirement in 2023. When you ask NFL fans who the greatest player in league history is, almost everyone, including his vehement haters, will say Brady. You’d think that a player of such importance would have a significant retirement that would captivate fans across the globe. The reality, however, is that he retired like any regular player would; it was sudden and soon forgotten — the attention economy was not impressed. In all fairness, Brady had retired twice, too, with his first retirement in 2022 lasting just 40 days until he reversed the decision. Brady played the role of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” one too many times with retirement, tiring fans out from any possible excitement or shock. Brady’s retirement would’ve always been treated more lightly by fans than it should have been, and I firmly believe part of that is because he downplayed and double-backed on retirement through events like his first retirement and this Hulu ad. I’m worried James, a player of similar greatness in his respective sport, may be heading down that same path.

I don’t believe James will retire this season, but that doesn’t mean he should play with fans’ feelings about his retirement. James’ use of this moment to promote a product was a poor decision. Instead of discussing how James will miss the beginning of the NBA season, our attention is only on the Second Decision. Some may say that this is a gross overreaction to a fakeout retirement, but it would be absurd to deny that this ad will impact his eventual retirement and the reaction to it. James is one of the greatest players to ever step on a basketball court and deserves a retirement that reflects his incredible legacy. The potential retirement is already, however, being engulfed by partnerships and ads. In many companies’ hopes to benefit from players faking out retirement in viral moments, the ads ultimately diminish the impact the eventual retirements will have on fans. While this is only one moment, I sincerely hope James doesn’t pump fake fans again with another phony retirement ad and become another ‘boy who cried wolf’ like Brady. To James, I ask: Is it genuinely worth damaging the legacy you inevitably leave behind in your final moments, regardless of how much Hennessy or Hulu pays?