Oct 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with son, guard Bronny James (9), during a break in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Former Lakers Champ Says LeBron James Partner Was ‘Out of Pocket’ for Second Decision

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers' 21-time All-NBA superstar power forward, LeBron James, is kicking off his record-extending 23rd pro season in all the wrong ways.

The four-time champion is dealing with sciatica on his right side, and will miss at least the first week of regular season action before the ailment is even reassessed.

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James, 40, also doubled down on one of his most controversial PR moves in a deeply unsatisfying way.

He teased a "Second Decision" announcement at the start of the week, consciously echoing the televised special he made in 2010 to promote his free agent choice to abandon the Cleveland Cavaliers in favor of the Miami Heat.

The decision of all decisions. October 7th. 12pm EST. #TheSecondDecision pic.twitter.com/1uop8sIU25
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 6, 2025

Alongside fellow Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James went on to reshape the basketball landscape, appearing in four consecutive NBA Finals and winning championships in both 2012 and '13.

So would "The Second Decision" be an announcement regarding a possible retirement after the 2025-26 season for the league's oldest player?

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James is playing on an expiring $52.6 million contract, after all, since he failed to come to terms with Los Angeles regarding a new, longer-term contract this summer and ultimately picked up his option for 2025-26.

Instead of announcing the end of his 23-season career, James' "Second Decision" was a mere marketing ploy, designed to reveal a collaboration with Hennessy.

Having a Hennessy Sidecar is the easiest decision you’ll make. Just ask @KingJames #HennessyxLeBron #TheSecondDecision #HennessyVSOP #MadeForMore pic.twitter.com/Pyz3Hkul4U
— Hennessy (@Hennessy) October 10, 2025

On his podcast "Inside The Green Room," James' one-time champion Lakers teammate Danny Green reflected on the reveal.

His co-host Harrison Sanford called out James for being "out-of-pocket" for recalling his infamous original "Decision" blunder, but Green put the onus squarely on Hennessy.

Nah — Henny and LeBron we’re outta pocket for this one @DGreen_14 & @HarrisonSanford express their thoughts on LeBron’s “The Decision 2” pic.twitter.com/mzGWR1uUhF
— Inside The Green Room (@GreenRoomInside) October 9, 2025

"I'm sure the bag was pretty big, and the bag got bigger depending on how much attention it got," Green said. "Master marketer, man. Hennessy's out of pocket. They wrote up the commercial. Hennessy's the one who's out of pocket."

During his lone season in Los Angeles, Green averaged 8.0 points on .416/.367/.688 shooting splits, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks, while playing 68 of 71 regular season games during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.

"It could've been something great, but because he put it this way and people think it's a really good decision, which it's not, now they're like, 'Oh it's just that?'" Green added. "So now every time you think of Hennessy, you're like, 'These guys did this bum-ass 'Decision.'"