NBA fans are rolling in laughter as one reporter did not mince words in making a joke out of the latest ad starring Los Angeles Lakers veteran star LeBron James.
Recently, NBA fans had a laugh as ESPN SportsCenter host Matt Barrie joked that LeBron James should “rub some Hennessy” on his sciatica. The comment came after the Lakers star was ruled out to start the season with a right-side nerve issue, a comment that doubled as a shot at James’ recent teased “Second Decision” and his announced Hennessy partnership.
With the wilderness of the comment, some fans had doubts on the authenticity of the news. However, others have reiterated that it was a real statement, and not something a parody account like the NBA Centel would post.
“This is not a Centel thing,” one fan posted on X.
This is not a Centel thing:pic.twitter.com/3jKYUcAesG
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) October 9, 2025
Barrie made the remark on air while discussing James’ injury and the backlash to the social-media stunt, quipping that applying Hennessy would make for a headline and poking fun at the timing of the partnership announcement amid the injury news.
LeBron is set for re-evaluation in about three to four weeks and will miss the Lakers’ season opener on Oct. 21, leaving the organization to manage both on-court availability and off-court optics as the veteran enters the new season.
NBA Fans Surprised by Lebron James “Second Decision” Heneessy Ad
Earlier this week, NBA fans got into a surprise reveal as Los Angeles Lakers veteran star LeBron James’ previously announced “second decision” turned out to be an ad for Hennessy.
For one, analyst and critic Stephen A. Smith called out James for a deceptive way of marketing and referenced “the boy who cried wolf” in his statement.
“If you play like garbage at any point in time when it really really counts, I’m going to think about that Hennessy commercial and wonder if you were drinking something before the game,” Smith said.
Stephen A. Smith calls out LeBron for his ad
“If you play like garbage at any point in time when it really really counts, I’m going to think about that Hennessy commercial and wonder if you were drinking something before the game”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 8, 2025
However, for some fans, the hate should be directed to the brand, and not LeBron, who only got paid to do the ad.
“Why is LeBron’s name even attached to any of this. Sue Hennessy,” one fan mentioned. “THEY came up with and paid HIM to do the ad. This was a Hennessy commercial.”
While the reveal of the ad came as a shock to many NBA fans, some have already predicted it to be a marketing campaign, and not in any way related to his retirement, as some had expected.
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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.
