"Garner attention for himself" - Stephen A. Smith launches scathing criticism of LeBron James for "The Second Decision" PR stunt

On Monday, LeBron James had the whole basketball world on its feet as he teased the community with a video titled "The Second Decision". Wild speculations began circulating in the community, with the most popular one being that the Lakers star would reveal information about his retirement.

However, the teaser was revealed to be an advertisement for the liquor brand Hennessy. It received a backlash from the community as the fans were left disappointed after getting hyped about a big career move by James in a long time.

On Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith and his crew on the 'First Take' discussed the teaser and the commercial. The ESPN spokesman was quite upset with the Lakers star for pulling off such a publicity stunt.

"I don't understand why the second-greatest player who ever lived, a four-time champion, a four-time league MVP, one of the greatest players to have ever lived, would stoop to garner attention for himself with something other than trying to win a damn championship," Smith said.

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"As a matter of fact, if you play like garbage at any point in time when it really really counts, I am gonna think about the Hennessy commercial and wonder if you were drinking something before the game."

Later, Stephen A. Smith said that he wanted to be in LA in June next year during the next playoffs. However, he then made a sarcastic comment and said that it was never going to happen because of the Hennessy commercial.

LeBron James partners with Hennessy to launch a new collector's V.S.O.P limited edition

Hennessy, the world's leading Cognac producer, partnered with basketball sensation LeBron James to launch their new limited edition V.S.O.P offering. The company released a commercial for the product on Tuesday, which was uploaded on the Lakers star's social media account.

The newest line of product deepens the partnership between LeBron James and Hennessy that started in 2024. The backdrop on the product's label featured an image of James while he was doing his signature crown celebration.

The product name reads "Hennessy V.S.O.P x LeBron James cognac". Following the release of the limited edition product, one of Hennessy's executives released a statement about their partnership with the Lakers star.

"We're proud to deepen our partnership with LeBron James—a cultural icon whose influence reaches far beyond sport," said Vincent Montalescot, Chief Marketing Officer of Hennessy. "LeBron embodies a spirit of collective play and social generosity... values that resonate deeply with our own. This is a tribute to LeBron's extraordinary journey and to a defining moment in the history of sport; it is a privilege to partner with him in a way that is both genuine and celebratory."

The limited edition Cognac is available for purchase in selected retail markets worldwide.

Edited by Avi Shravan