LeBron James sparked a flurry of social-media speculation on Monday after saying he would announce his “Second Decision” a day later.
The Los Angeles Lakers star posted a nine-second video on X, showing him walking forward to sit in a chair opposite an unnamed person.
The accompanying caption read, “The decision of all decisions. October 7th. 12pm EST. (saluting emoji) (crown emoji) #TheSecondDecision”
The video’s setup mimicked the look of “The Decision,” a July 8, 2010, television special during which James revealed he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign as a free agent with the Miami Heat. James famously told interviewer Jim Gray, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.”
James, 40, hasn’t revealed whether the upcoming season will be his last in the NBA, so many responding to the “Second Decision” tease wondered whether the four-time MVP would be announcing his exit plans.
Others guessed that perhaps it’s a marketing ploy designed to promote one of the many companies with which James has endorsement deals.
Regarding his NBA plans, James said last week, “I’m excited about the opportunity to be able to play the game that I love for another season. However the journey lays out this year, I’m super invested, because I don’t know when the end is. I know it’s a lot sooner than later.”
LeBron James’ eldest son, Bronny, made it to the NBA last season and teamed with his father on the Lakers as a lightly used reserve.
Bryce James, LeBron James’ younger son, is a freshman at Arizona, and LeBron said last week, “I’m not waiting on Bryce. … He has his own timeline, I got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up.”
A 21-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, LeBron James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season while finishing sixth in MVP voting. He owns career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
James is the all-time NBA leader in points (42,184) and minutes played (59,041). He has played in 1,562 games, the second-highest total, and he could pass Robert Parish (1,611) to top that list in the upcoming season.
