When you have been one of the faces of the National Basketball Association for over two decades, outlasting NBA veterans and now matching up against their sons while winning four championships, every move you make garners the sport’s undivided attention.
Although you may be appreciated globally, not everyone who watches will support everything you do.
LeBron James’s Second “Decision” Earns Criticism
On October 7, the basketball community held its breath in anticipation of what many thought would indicate that “King James” would finally tell the world that he would be stepping away from basketball for good, possibly at the end of the 2025 season.
What fans did not expect was to be waiting on the edge of their seats for the news of James partnering with the historic liquor brand Hennessy Cognac.
Many fans breathed a sigh of relief as they were able to avert their worst fear and lower their blood pressure back to normal levels.
The Hennessy ad recreated James’s viral 2010 televised interview, “The Decision.” At the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, he revealed that after seven years of trying to bring a championship to the Cleveland Cavaliers — putting the team on his back and constantly coming up short — he was making a calculated move that would put him alongside superstar talent like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat.
The infamous trio would become known as “the Big Three” and help usher in an era of NBA superteams.
MORE: LeBron James Reveals the NFL Team He Nearly Tried Out For During the 2011 NBA Lockout
This move would be genius, as the Miami Heat would win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Many fans sat and watched in amazement as the team seemed unstoppable during their run, with LeBron acquiring his first two NBA championships and consecutive NBA Finals MVP trophies.
These achievements gave his career the boost it needed to continue chasing down Michael Jordan. It has been 15 years since that career-altering moment. When you’re one of the biggest and most historic liquor brands globally, your partnership with an NBA megastar deserves a grand reveal.
On a basketball court, an “interview host” is sitting in the center awaiting James, making pretend small talk, saying, “Well, everyone’s on pins and needles across the country. You ready to go, LeBron? Where’s the powder?”
James replied, “Left it at home,” before delivering the line fans didn’t see coming: “In this fall, man, this is tough. In this fall, I’m going to be taking my talent to Hennessy VSOP,” revealing the brand-new partnership between the two.
While some basketball fans saw it as clever and funny, one person who was not joking about the ad was three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Lou Williams.
During a recent episode of “Run It Back” with Chandler Parsons and DeMarcus Cousins, Williams said that the ad bothered the dad inside of him. He made his point clear that during the first decision, it was about the kids and involved the community. With this faux decision-styled advertisement, he felt it was sending the wrong message to the youth about alcohol and, in his words, inviting young people to “a Hennessy party.”
Williams understood that brands and sponsors must be creative in marketing, but saw the campaign as unacceptable. His cohost, Parsons, weighed in on his thoughts before Williams spoke, feeling like LeBron was doing the ad just to seek attention.
Whether you like it or not, the youth will always be watching their role models and favorite athletes in their every move. It will be interesting to see how James and the Hennessy company plan their subsequent ad campaigns.
