It’s understandable that James’ “Decision 2” received criticism!

On October 7th, James shared a teaser video donning the identical shirt from the 2010 “Decision 1,” with the caption “The Decision of All Decisions.”

This implied a significant announcement would be made at midnight on October 8th Beijing time.

Seeing such a setup, it’s natural for fans like me to think: the presentation is meant to evoke memories of “Decision 1,” when he brought his talent to the South Coast to play with his brothers.

This assumption isn’t wrong, especially considering James’ age and the Lakers’ moves during this offseason, the public largely speculated it was a “retirement announcement” or a “final season tour.”

Or perhaps he would return to Cleveland in the future, going back to his roots?

It wasn’t just us thinking this—Morant even commented “No!... They say you’re lying”; and U.S. media seriously analyzed a “52% chance of retirement.”

This caused the lowest ticket price for the Lakers’ final home game of the 2025-26 season (against the Jazz) to soar from $85 to $445, an increase of over 424%, reflecting market expectations of a retirement tour...

So what happened?

Here’s a meme that perfectly captures my feelings:

During the National Day holiday, many brothers and I felt uneasy all day, as if waiting for an answer to something...

And then? Oh my!

Host: The whole nation is eagerly waiting and can’t wait any longer. LeBron, are you ready? Where are your “fans”?

LeBron: Left them at home.

Host: LeBron, the fans want to know, what’s your decision?

LeBron: Uh, this autumn, man, it’s really tough.This autumn, I’ve decided to bring my talent to... Hennessy VSOP.

Host: VSOP? Is that the final decision you made when you woke up this morning?

LeBron: That’s exactly the decision I made when I woke up this morning.

...

In other words, James’ so-called “Decision 2” is a partnership with the Hennessy liquor brand, not a retirement announcement.

Once the “decision” was announced, whether in comment sections, social media, or friend circles, many voiced criticism.

What’s my take on this?

Speaking objectively, it’s normal to be criticized.

Let me give a possibly imperfect example; it feels like this:

On May 19th, Paul from Anyang told the girl he liked: “There’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

The girl waited all day, even told her best friend the news, expecting a confession and a new relationship.

But the next evening, what she got from Paul was:

“Can you lend me 59 yuan first to buy a basketball from my store? We’re having a sale…”

Can you blame the girl for being angry?

Haha.

What’s the implication?

James’ move is essentially a commercial advertisement wrapped in basketball sentimentality.

Maybe Wade advised him: “You can use this moment to make some money.”

He definitely gained a lot of attention, but this kind of approach should only be done once.

If done repeatedly, it will drain emotions and weaken public trust.

However, James is smart enough to understand the consequences; frankly, he doesn’t care.

Lastly, remember last year when Forbes published a stunning figure: as one of the most dominant athletes in sports and business over the past 20 years, LeBron James’ personal net worth officially surpassed $1.2 billion.

Player salary is only part of it.

James’ business ventures include sneakers, beverages, headphones, film, TV broadcasting, food processing, and more; his commercial empire is a diverse fusion of sports, investment, entertainment, and consumer goods.

I have to say, the business success is undeniable.