Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James teased a big announcement on Monday, styled after his 2010 TV special in which he announced he was “taking his talents” to the Miami Heat. In what many thought might be a retirement revelation, James, who will be 41 in December, instead announced a partnership with Hennessy.
In a video released Tuesday more than an hour earlier than planned, a Hennessy representative asks James, “Where do you want to take your talents this fall?”
“This fall, man, this is tough, I’m going to be taking my talents to Hennessy VSOP.”
James said he has always been “a big admirer” of Hennessy, a top-selling cognac-type brandy. In a 2024 interview with Esquire, James announced a partnership with the company and a special, limited-edition VS collaboration bottle featuring his face.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 7, 2025
James teased the announcement with a post to X on Monday afternoon, calling it “The decision of all decisions,” and mimicking his televised July 8, 2010, ESPN special in which he revealed his plan to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Heat in free agency. James won NBA championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.
Monday’s 10-second clip gave a similar aura to ESPN in 2010, when James announced he was teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and “taking his talents to South Beach” in an interview with reporter Jim Gray at a Boys & Girls Club gymnasium in Greenwich, Conn., James’ announcement was a nationally televised spectacle that began a cultural shift in the NBA, moving power to players from owners and bringing significant attention to free agency and player contracts.
Some believed Monday’s X post was hinting at a retirement announcement, with ticket prices for the Lakers’ final home game soaring to more than $700. According to StubHub, those prices remain high, with the cheapest ticket listed as “selling fast” at $374.
At media day on Sept. 29, James said, “I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’s sooner than later.”
James, who has averaged 27 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in his career, will begin his 23rd NBA season and eighth year with the Lakers on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.