LeBron James’ fake retirement stunt on Monday didn’t just fool NBA fans — it hit their wallets too.
After teasing a major announcement with a post captioned “The decision of all decisions” and the hashtag #TheSecondDecision, plenty of NBA fans assumed it was the end of the line for the four-time champion. Within hours, ticket prices for the Lakers’ final regular-season home game against the Utah Jazz went through the roof.
According to TickPick, the cheapest seats that were originally around $85 skyrocketed to $445 after LeBron’s post. Fans scrambling to catch what they thought might be his farewell game ended up paying five times the original price.
Reactions were split — some laughed it off, others weren’t so happy.
“congratulations you just spent $400 to watch Dalton Knecht vs Cody Williams,” hinting that it could be more of a rookie showcase than LeBron’s last dance.
congratulations you just spent $400 to watch Dalton Knecht vs Cody Williams https://t.co/7Aj72sKxLJ
— 🤺 (@philfanacc) October 7, 2025
“everyone just got scammed for some Ad he’s gonna drop.”
“Whoever bought them tickets about to be a lil salty when it’s him promoting either streaming or a ad? The fact it’s called the second decision let me know shit isn’t even serious.”
The big announcement turned out to be a marketing move — LeBron’s new partnership with Hennessy VSOP, featuring a signature bottle under his name.
“Centel Got Centeled”: NBA fans Troll Spoof Account After LeBron’s Hoax
LeBron’s prank didn’t just confuse fans — it even threw off satirical NBA page NBACentel, which is known for its parody news posts. The account jokingly posted a fake quote:
“This fckery will continue – LeBron James on his retirement.”*
NBA Fans quickly joined in on the fun.
“Who is going to avenge Centel on this business? I mean, it’s just wrong for Centel to take a header on ‘the announcement.’”
Who is going to avenge Centel on this business?
I mean, it’s just wrong for Centel to take a header on “the announcement.”
— Kurt Nimphius’ Hair (@Hcp1Hcp) October 7, 2025
“Centel got centeled by Lebron.”
A third simply said,
“Centel is the goat.”
While LeBron’s “retirement” turned out to be a marketing play, it reminded everyone that even in his 23rd NBA season, the King still knows how to control the spotlight — and the internet.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
