LeBron James announced he would be making his "Second Decision."
The basketball world let its imagination run wild.
In the end, it was an advertisement for Hennessy.
James wouldn't be retiring. He wouldn't be changing teams. He wouldn't be buying some ownership stake or doing something else in sports.
He simply was pitching a new advertisement.
And so after the dust settled, when Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke to reporters on Tuesday night, he had a simple message.
"You guys are idiots," Redick told the media gathered around him. "We all knew it was an ad, right? Nobody was freaking out."
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Of course, Redick likely had a little bit more inside information than the rest of us.
James has done this recently, too, with his advertisement teases that look like they could be something else. It was certainly a real possibility people had considered.
But at this point with the 40-year old James, nothing is off the table.
For now, though, basketball seems business as usual.
James is going to rest during the preseason so he's ready for the regular season. It'll be his first full campaign with Luka Doncic, which is exciting for the Lakers. And at least on the court, James is still his authentic self, with no need for teases.
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