LeBron James drinks up all the fans
It was inevitable that the ’announcement of a “Second Decision” by LeBron James would send the entire basketball world into a frenzy: fifteen years after the infamous broadcast aired on ESPN in which The Chosen One announced his move from Cleveland to Miami, there were those who expected another bombshell and those who smelled an air of retirement. In the end, however, the second decision turned out to be nothing more than a marketing move, linked to a new advertising collaboration involving the four-time NBA champion.
When the X hour was triggered, in the US morning (mid-afternoon in Italy), and the “King” social profiles were updated, nothing but a video appeared in which James himself “toasts” to his 23rd professional season, the one about to begin, with liquor from a world-renowned brand.
No announcement about the future, then, just a publicity stunt that, among other things, sharply divided the’opinion of fans in the comments sections of various social media: on the one hand those who appreciated LeBron’s self-deprecation, who in the video referred to his historic phrase “I’m going to take my talents to…” on the other those who felt negatively displaced, expecting a major announcement that, in fact, there was none.
D’on the other hand, in the hours leading up to the publication of the post, there had been widespread speculation that James would announce his retirement at the end of the season, so much so that the Los Angeles Lakers’ ticket sales system had gone haywire due to an excess of requests regarding the last regular season home game, scheduled for next spring. A game, which, until a true “Second Decision” arrives, may still not be the’last in L.A. for King James.
