LA Lakers head coach JJ Redick couldn’t believe that so many NBA fans bought into LeBron James’ supposed retirement tease.
In the last 24 hours, the basketball world went from speculating about LeBron’s farewell to realizing it was just a clever setup for his new partnership with Hennessy VSOP.
Redick, entering his second year at the Lakers’ helm, didn’t seem fazed by the idea of losing LeBron — instead, he laughed at the fans who thought the King was actually done.
“You guys are idiots,” Redick said, reacting to those convinced the 2025–26 season would be LeBron’s last.
JJ Redick couldn’t believe that people actually thought LeBron was retiring 😭🤣
(via @mcten) pic.twitter.com/xGdNFV54qF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 8, 2025
While some fans truly believed the 39-year-old superstar was announcing the end of his career, others knew better, considering how he’s still competing toe-to-toe with players nearly half his age.
One fan joked,
“How did JJ get centel’d into thinking we got centel’d.”
How did JJ get centel’d into thinking we got centel’d pic.twitter.com/U07OtaACwm
— ✩𝐀𝐡𝐤 🇲🇦 (@XoXoJennaa3) October 8, 2025
Another added,
“A man that finished 6th on mvp’s voting retiring out of a blue like that 🤣🤣🤣 Aint happening.”
A third wrote,
“People really thought LeBron was gonna retire before Bronny touched the court? Be serious.”
LeBron, now entering his 23rd NBA season, has four championships, four Finals MVPs, and a resume that keeps growing — proving that he’s not slowing down anytime soon.
NBA Fans Applaud LeBron’s Epic “Retirement” Fake-Out
The internet stopped for a moment when LeBron James teased a “major announcement” on Monday, leading many to believe he was about to retire.
Instead, it turned out to be a promotional spot for his new collaboration with Hennessy VSOP — complete with a signature bottle under his name.
Fans who braced for an emotional farewell quickly turned their frustration into laughter.
Twitch even replied to his post:
“you almost got us.”
you almost got us
— Twitch (@Twitch) October 7, 2025
One fan commented,
“YOU TROLLED US FOR A HENNESSY AD?!?!?!”
Another added,
“See now, if you are LeBron James here, let’s face it. You got everyone with a pump fake here, mainly because folks thought you are retiring when in fact you are just drinking the hard stuff on a Tuesday morning. Give the guy credit.”
LeBron’s prank may have caused brief panic, but it ended with laughs — and maybe a few more people reaching for a Hennessy while watching him keep proving he’s still got it.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
