Whenever LeBron James utters a remark, which can be considered somewhat esoteric, one cannot help but visualize the Earth either not rotating or at least slowing down quite a bit. The man is not merely an athlete in basketball; he is a cross-the-world of culture phenomenon, one that history and sneakers have conspired to associate him with. His own confusion, ‘The Second Decision,’ did not just ignite a Twitter fire but also soared way beyond Lakers game tickets’ sky. It resembles that LeBron once more, without any doubt, made known that he is the front-page and merch king by going from loafing about to speculating what, then to reacting in disbelief and outrage.
One can hardly find a LeBron James type who makes statements; what he actually does is create moments. Thus, the entire net gasp, if not a combined shock, was the reaction when the all-time scoring champ of the NBA came up with some sort of teaser for ‘The Second Decision’ or whatever that was. With the earliest possible ending or the King’s new era of dominance, fans were eager to get after having viewed the teaser.
Unfortunately, the brief teaser turned out to be a repeat of the past, depicting LeBron instantaneously in a dark room of a major surprise, very much like his 2010 ‘special’ departure from Cleveland to go to Miami. Soon, the hashtag TheSecondDecision became extremely popular as fans scrutinized each frame of the video as rigorously as they would the Zapruder film.
Pretty much right away, they all considered the same scenarios that these talk shows were raving about, which they saw flooding Twitter, Reddit, etc. Was the snippet perhaps a goodbye message from LeBron? A transfer to another team? Entry into the media? Fans, writers, and even sports-betting pros speculated, trying to outguess one another. What they agreed upon was that whatever it was, it would be of great significance.
Still at the age of 40 and in his 23rd year, LeBron’s career path has always been the main issue for him when he sends his cryptic messages. He has not been shy to say that he will stop playing sooner rather than later. Thus, this particular staging became even more of a spectacle, as a kind of goodbye to the giant.
The changes are always the hardest. Surprisingly, it was a little bit earlier than expected when LeBron’s partner brand Hennessy made the announcement. “The Second Decision” was a collaboration for an exclusive cognac product, not basketball at all: the limited-edition Hennessy V.S.O.P x LeBron James bottle. In the commercial, LeBron jokingly stated, “This fall, I’m taking my talents to Hennessy V.S.O.P,” which was a humorous reference to his 2010 “South Beach” line.”
Don’t be fooled by the relief coming immediately. Lakers fans who anticipated that they were watching a sneak peek of LeBron’s retirement tour were turned on and realized it was just another ad campaign. Twitter was loaded with reactions like, “You can’t call it ‘The Second Decision’ and make it an advert!” or “I was just $500 short of bailing out for a fake retirement ticket from this guy.” Yet, others were applauding LeBron for the ingenuity of the trick.
In fact, LeBron’s commercial had already created a small economic upheaval before the revelation of the truth. Many Lakers tickets skyrocketed overnight; the cheapest ticket for the previous night’s home game against the Jazz jumped from $82 to $580 overnight. Secondary markets were already selling it for more than $1,000. All this craziness over a 60-second video.
Besides LeBron, can you name one more person who would generate such a stock market frenzy with just one tweet? One cannot compare to LeBron’s influence that stretches beyond basketball itself. Not only is he a brand, he is a whole cosmos. Such a person is able, singlehandedly, to instigate the fluctuation of stocks, change fashion, and still give a speech, thereby showing that he is as much a business genius as he is a physically unbeatable player on the court.
Moreover, LeBron is more than anyone else the very person who keeps the fans from getting too comfortable with him. He is the guy who makes the spectators stay on their toes and anticipate his next move, especially with his 23rd year coming up. Retirement? Farewell tour? Another detour in the saga? Only time will reveal. When LeBron makes his move, the world is compelled to react, i.e., fans, even if it is only to indicate that he will be working next with a brand of cognac.
LeBron James is not playing only a game; instead, he is redefining control over the very storyline. Whatever it was, in the form of likes or dislikes, there is no other athlete in the sports world with this perfect timing, narrative control, or drama like LeBron. Whether it was a troll or just a teaser, The Second Decision still managed to be one step ahead of everyone else, as it made us remember why he is still the most charismatic sportsman in the world. Besides just changing things, the King also makes history.