Like many, Stephen A. Smith wasn’t a fan of the LeBron James “Second Decision” spoof, which seemingly teased a major career announcement only to reveal itself as an advertisement for Hennessy.
But while the ESPN star agreed that the social media spot was “corny as hell” and “cringey,” he also had other reasons for not liking the ad.
Specifically, what it says about James’ mindset entering the record-setting 23rd season of his NBA career.
“I don’t understand why the second greatest player who ever lived, a 4-time champion, a 4-time league MVP, one of the greatest players who has ever lived, would stoop to try to garner attention for himself with something other than trying to win a damn championship,” Smith said on Wednesday’s episode of First Take.
Despite his own recent issues with James, ESPN’s $100 million man insisted that he’s rooting for James’ Los Angeles Lakers to make the NBA Finals. After all, that would mean his NBA Countdown studio show would get to spend next June in Southern California, as opposed to other Western Conference possibilities such as Oklahoma City or Minneapolis.
Smith even went as far as to joke that the commercial left such a sour taste in his mouth that he’s going to wonder whether James had consumed Hennessy before any game in which he might play poorly during the upcoming NBA season. His biggest issue, however, remained that he wants to spend next June in Los Angeles and he views the viral ad as a deterrent to that mission.
“I wanna be in Southern California,” Smith said. “Can I get that? Because the one time they went to the finals and won it all with him in a Lakers uniform was when they were in the [COVID-19] bubble. That wasn’t in L.A. That was in a bubble in Orlando. I would like to be in L.A. in June. Can we talk about pulling that off? No, we can’t because of a damn Hennessy commercial.”
While there was certainly a humorous aspect to Smith’s argument, he appears to legitimately not be a fan of James partaking in the spot. To that end, it’s tough to square his belief that the ad could detract from the Lakers’ championship aspirations with how commonplace commercials starring athletes have been for decades now.
Ultimately, Smith is hardly alone in criticizing the ad. His reasoning, however, certainly stands out from most of the backlash the commercial has faced.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.