EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – LeBron James’ second tease on social media didn’t have the Los Angeles Lakers wasting a second worrying if their star suddenly announced plans to retire.
“We all knew it was an announcement, right?” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after practice Tuesday.
Redick then snapped at the group of reporters around him: “You guys are idiots.”
Although Lakers players and coaches knew better than to worry about James’ post that previewed “the decision of all decisions” to appear the next day on his social media account, some in the general public were fooled until James revealed the post’s goal on Tuesday.
In a commercial for Hennessy Cognac, James sat down for an interview while wearing a red and white plaid shirt — referencing his made-for-TV special that aired on ESPN in 2010 when he announced his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and take his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat.
In the drinking spot, James says he’s going to take his talents to Hennessy vsop.
A compilation of Lakers reactions to LeBron James’ decision:
Rui Hachimura – “He likes to do this type of stuff”
Austin Reaves: “I got a few calls, like ‘What is this?’ “”
JJ Redick – “You Are Idiots” pic.twitter.com/siujd19e9w– Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 7, 2025
Redick, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura all said they had their phones flooded with texts after James’ post.
“I think most people who text me are also aware that it’s probably an announcement,” Redick said. “So it wasn’t…no one panicked.”
Hachimura said he texted James to get the information straight from the source, and James responded with an emoji — but Hachimura wouldn’t share the emoji.
“He likes to do this type of thing,” Hachimura said of James. “Surprises, right?”
Reaves said he received phone calls asking questions about James’ intent.
“People thought (thought) he was retiring,” Reaves said. “I’m glad he didn’t. That’s all I can say.”
Reaves was asked if he had ever tried the product James was peddling and said he doesn’t drink alcohol.
Then he added: “If I start, I guess this will be it.”
