On Monday, he posted to social media, “The decision of all decisions. October 7th. 12pm EST. 🫡👑 #TheSecondDecision."
Some speculated that he would be retiring, others thought maybe he would be leaving the Lakers. Some even guessed it was all just an ad for some sort of promotion for a company.
When he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, he made the announcement on “The Decision” on ESPN, according to Bleacher Report.
Monday’s post caused the price of tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers’ final game of the regular season next April to surge on StubHub, USA Today reported. Tickets before the post were as low as $82, but after the cheapest ticket was $731, the publication reported Tuesday morning.
Next year will be his 23rd in the league and the eighth with the Lakers. He will be the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons and is the oldest active player in the NBA at the age of 40, according to Bleacher Report.
The NBA season starts Oct. 21.
For those who guessed the last option, they were correct.
About an hour and a half before the promised noon announcement, he posted a follow-up video on social media that showed it was just an ad for Hennessy VSOP. It is a limited edition that bears James’ name and is available “in select markets worldwide” this month, the company said in a news release.
The liquor company responded to the announcement on X: “Had to stir things up a bit.”
"At the heart of this edition is LeBron’s signature ‘crowning’ gesture - a symbol of elevation, and leadership now reimagined on a vibrant orange bottle. This bold colorway, inspired by LeBron’s dynamic spirit, signals a fresh energy and a new occasion for celebration. From courtside to cocktail hour, it’s a bottle built to bring people together," Hennessy said in a news release.
James said of the new collaboration, “It’s an honor to continue this partnership with Hennessy. Our first collection was about a shared pursuit of excellence and boundary pushing, and this new limited edition is another chapter in that story. The design features my crowning gesture, which is special for me and stands for celebration and connection. That’s what this bottle is made for.”
This isn’t the only time a spokesperson deal has teased a potential but improbable retirement. He was also featured in a series of Amazon ads that alluded to a career change, Sports Illustrated reported. Some people thought that the decision coincided with the first day of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days.
Photos: LeBron James through the years Here are some memorable photos of NBA icon LeBron James through the years. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2002: LeBron James of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School clenches his fists after making a shot against Oak Hill Academy at the Cleveland State University Convocation Center on December 12, 2002, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2003: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets take a breather as the wait for play to resume November 5, 2003, at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2004: LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony of the United States receive the bronze medal for men's basketball during ceremonies on August 28, 2004, during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Indoor Hall of the Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2005: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts on a protective mask in his first game back since an injury to the face during their game against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 3, 2005, at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2006: Cleveland Cavaliers player LeBron James arrives at the 2006 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 12, 2006, in Hollywood, California. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2007: Co-host LeBron James arrives onstage in a throne during the 2007 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 11, 2007, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2008: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James of the United States celebrate during the medal ceremony after defeating Spain 118-107 in the gold medal game during Day 16 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium on August 24, 2008, in Beijing. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2009: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers gets to the basket for a first-quarter dunk while playing the Atlanta Hawks in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2009, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2010: LeBron James of the Miami Heat pose for photos during media day at the Bank United Center on September 27, 2010, in Miami. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2011: LeBron James of the Miami Heat reacts against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Two of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on June 2, 2011, in Miami. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2012: LeBron James of the United States celebrates winning the Men's Basketball gold medal game between the United States and Spain on Day 16 of the London 2012 Olympics Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 12, 2012, in London. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2013: Rapper Jay-Z and Beyonce look over at LeBron James of the Miami Heat and the Eastern Conference during the 2013 NBA All-Star game at the Toyota Center on February 17, 2013, in Houston. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2014: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers wears an "I Can't Breathe" shirt during warmups before his game against the Brooklyn Nets during their game at the Barclays Center on December 8, 2014, in New York City. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2015: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after a play in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 26, 2015, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2016: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks during a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on March 19, 2016, in Miami. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2017: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates a second-half basket while playing the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena on November 1, 2017, in Cleveland, Ohio. Indiana won the game 124-107. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2018: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his three-pointer during a 104-96 win over the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on November 29, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2019: LeBron James of the LA Lakers and Team LeBron drives to the basket against Team Giannis in the first quarter during the NBA All-Star game as part of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend at Spectrum Center on February 17, 2019, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2020: LeBron James of Team LeBron dunks the ball in the third quarter against Team Giannis during the 69th NBA All-Star Game at the United Center on February 16, 2020, in Chicago. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2021: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after his three-pointer in double overtime to lead the Lakers to a 135-129 win over the Detroit Pistonsat Staples Center on February 6, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2023: Bronny James #6 of the West team talks to Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2023 McDonald's High School Boys All-American Game at Toyota Center on March 28, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images) (Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2023: LeBron James attends the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures' "Shooting Stars" on May 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2023: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images) (Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2024: LeBron James #6 of the United States reacts during an exhibition game between the United States and Serbia ahead of the Paris Olympic Games at Etihad Arena on July 17, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images) (Christopher Pike/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2024: LeBron James of USA scores a basket during the 2024 USA Basketball Showcase match between USA and South Sudan at The O2 Arena on July 20, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images) (Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2024: LeBron James #6 of Team United States dunks the ball against Team Serbia during the first half of the Men's Group Phase - Group C game between Serbia and the United States on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2024: LeBron James #6 and Stephen Curry #4 of Team United States celebrate after their team's win against Team Serbia during a Men's basketball semifinals match between Team United States and Team Serbia on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2024: LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on October 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) (Harry How/Getty Images)
Photos: LeBron James through the years 2025: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during warm up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)