"Decision Two" was actually a commercial endorsement. James controlled the traffic and "dazzled" the fans.

Qilu Evening News·Qilu One Point Feng Zihan

On October 7, James released a short video trailer titled "Second Decision" on social media. As soon as the tweet came out, it instantly triggered the emotions of fans around the world. People are waiting with bated breath to speculate whether this means that the 40-year-old James will officially announce his retirement and start a career farewell tour. However, the fact that fans are waiting for is that "Decision 2" has nothing to do with basketball. It is just a cooperation between Lao Zhan and an alcohol brand.

From the crossroads of basketball destiny to the show floor of commercial marketing, James' "decision" caused an uproar, leaving behind a lot of discussion and complicated emotional responses. When competitive heroes turn into business tycoons, who is enjoying this traffic carnival, and who is sighing in the dark night?

It’s not scary to play tricks

This time it’s a bit “awkward”

In the 2025-2026 season, James will usher in the 23rd season of his NBA career. The longest season record for an NBA player in the league will be written by James himself. Although he has entered his 40s, James still maintains an amazing level of competition. But no one can deny that the "little emperor" who once flew into the sky and escaped from the earth has quietly approached the twilight of his career. But whenever he is asked about his plans to retire, James always avoids the exact answer.

This summer, the Lakers' movements seem to have added fuel to this "farewell speculation": the team did not send a contract extension, and James chose to exercise the player option worth $52.6 million for the final year. This move has led more and more people to believe that the next season may really be James' "last dance."

At the juncture of the longest career in NBA history, the very important word "decision" was used. The subconscious reaction from the outside world was that the veteran had the idea of ​​​​retiring to his hometown.

James in the advertising video is wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt. It was the same style of clothing he wore when he made the "decision one" to leave the Cavaliers and join the Heat in 2010. The phrase "Bring your talents to Miami" was also used in the advertisement.

A familiar shirt and an ambiguous copy. James used his best method to attract the world's attention, but he used the most commercial answer to "dodge everyone's waist."

In fact, there is nothing wrong with promoting the brand. As a world-class superstar, James has already transcended his status as a simple athlete and become an important player in the business world. According to data released by Forbes in May this year, James' income in the 12 months of 2024-2025 is US$133 million (including tax and agent fees), and his real-time wealth is US$1.3 billion, of which his income from playing is less than 600 million, and the rest comes from company operations and brand endorsements.

This business activity is so "mobilizing people" that it gives people the feeling of exerting too much force. When the suspense was built up and expectations were pushed to the peak, what was finally revealed was just a commercial. What came to my mind at that moment was not shock, but an indescribable embarrassment.

Excessive consumption of emotions

Fans love and hate

Just as "Decision 1" made many fans angry, when James announced "Decision 2", he still couldn't escape a storm of public opinion. This "decision" has attracted a lot of criticism, because the former is a choice for the future of sports, but the latter seems to be a consumption of fans' emotions.

This kind of naked commercial marketing has created a certain break with James' image as a veteran on the court.

Fans’ expectations for athletes at the end of their careers are often more focused on the inheritance of sportsmanship, career summary and pure love for the game. I think back then, the reason why Lakers star Kobe Bryant’s “retirement tour” became a good story is precisely because it completely revolved around basketball itself and was a solemn farewell to a twenty-year career. This time, James turned the possible and supposed solemn retirement discussion into a commercial marketing stunt, which inevitably disappointed some fans.

Behind this disappointment is a deeper crisis of trust. When every public behavior of an athlete may become a foreshadowing for commercial marketing, it will be difficult for fans to distinguish which are true emotional expressions and which are carefully calculated business strategies. This sense of uncertainty will weaken the emotional connection between fans and athletes, so that future sincere moments may be preconceivedly regarded as marketing ploys.

However, when the so-called "decision two" suspense was revealed, some "true fans" breathed a sigh of relief: this season is not James' "last dance" yet, and they can continue to watch him play.

Behind the traffic carnival

Who is the winner?

Whether he supports "maximizing commercial value" or criticizes "wasting fans' emotions", James' "fake action" this time has truly brought huge traffic and different benefits to different participants.

The biggest winner is undoubtedly the alcohol brand James cooperates with. They gained global exposure and discussion with relatively limited cooperation costs: they first attracted the attention of the entire network by creating suspense, and then revealed the answer when attention peaked to ensure that the brand information was received by the largest audience. If this kind of marketing effect is achieved through traditional advertising channels, the budget needs to be invested several times or even dozens of times.

For James, in addition to receiving direct rewards for commercial cooperation, this incident once again proved his unparalleled commercial appeal and media influence. At the end of his career, this display of influence helps him maintain and enhance his market value, paving the way for a comprehensive business transformation after retirement. At the same time, this controversial marketing also continues to strengthen James's public image as a "business legend" and is consistent with his vision of a business empire.

"Decision 2" even made a lot of money for ticket sellers. In the hours after James posted that ambiguous tweet, the NBA secondary ticket market experienced a rare emotional upheaval. Tickets for the Lakers’ last home game of the regular season this season, the cheapest tickets have increased from US$85 to US$445. Even after the announcement of "Decision 2", the ticket price dropped somewhat, but it was still several times the original price.

In 2010, James became the first superstar in the league to announce his career plan through live broadcast; in 2025, James used only a short video to clearly understand the traffic. In 15 years and two "decisions", James still attracts the most attention. This is not surprising, this is very "Old James".