LeBron James-Hennessy ad, explained: How Lakers star hinted at retirement with 'Second Decision' video

Daniel Mader

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LeBron James-Hennessy ad, explained: How Lakers star hinted at retirement with 'Second Decision' video image

When LeBron James dropped a video on Monday hinting at a “second decision” -- a clear callback to his famous announcement to join the Miami Heat earlier in his career -- speculation immediately swirled about a potential retirement.

After all, the Los Angeles Lakers star is 40 years old and nearing the end of his basketball career. When he posted that he would make “the decision of all decisions” on Tuesday afternoon, it sent fans into a frenzy --  from skyrocketing ticket prices to nearly 60 million impressions on his X post.

However, the tease was no retirement news at all — it was an advertisement for Hennessy, a company James has worked with in the past.

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Hennessy shared its "Second Decision" advertisement on Tuesday afternoon, where James sits down for a pretend 2010-style TV interview to announce he's "taking his talents to Hennessy VSOP."

Here's what to know about James' Hennessy advertisement that teased retirement rumors.

MORE: What is LeBron James' "Second Decision" announcement?

LeBron James 'Second Decision' Hennessy ad, explained

When James shared his Monday post hinting at "the decision of all decisions," it included a video of him walking to sit down for an interview the same way he did in 2010 to announce he was joining the Heat. That became one of the most iconic moments of James' career, leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami.

Fans have long been awaiting an official retirement announcement from James. He is now 40 years old, and while he remains one of the best all-around players in the NBA, the Lakers are also starting to enter a new era behind Luka Doncic. In the offseason, there were even questions about whether James would play for another team in 2025-26, but he opted into his player option.

Even with all the fan anticipation for James' Tuesday announcement, it turned out to be nothing close to official retirement news. In a similar fashion to past ads he has filmed with Amazon Prime, James sat down for a "Second Decision" interview for Hennessy, poking fun at his old interview by saying he is "taking his talents to Hennessy VSOP."

James then shows off his new branded bottle of Hennessy in the commercial.

Hennessy then made it further official, showcasing the "Hennessy V.S. x LeBron James" bottle on its website. 

"A unique signature for an all-time great, now in a limited edition celebrating LeBron James's boundary-breaking life and career as a legend of the NBA," the site reads. "First page written, a whole book still to fill, making every chapter count. Two kings, Made for More."

The Hennessy website says that the bottle "salutes LeBron James with a unique purple and orange logo and a bras armé featuring the NBA legend's signature sleeve and crown tattoo."

“As an admirer of Hennessy and its iconic brand, I’ve always appreciated its commitment to basketball and how it celebrates the sport’s influence on and off the court,” James said in a statement to Hennessy. “I was fortunate enough to visit the Maison in Cognac a while back, and seeing the care and craftsmanship that go into creating each bottle was pretty incredible. This collaboration allows us to share that sense of dedication and discovery to create something fresh and exciting for everyone to enjoy.”

James then reposted the Hennessy ad to his X account with some emojis, including a winking face that would make it seem he was aware of the retirement rumors he was fueling.

MORE: LeBron James 'first page' meme, explained

LeBron James Hennessy deal 

There aren't any official details known on James' deal with Hennessy, but this isn't the first time the NBA legend has worked the company, although this is his first bottle of the famous cognac.

In 2024, James appeared in a Hennessy ad where he read a book called "The First Page" as a nod to the jokes that he only reads the first pages of books.

He also wore some Hennessy collab merch before a game in February 2024. 

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.