From Decision One to Decision Two, the constant has been the uproar of attention.

James’ tweet had all basketball enthusiasts eagerly waiting all day long. Regardless of whether you support James, are a hardcore fan, or even a detractor, everyone was instinctively focused on what “Decision Two” meant from James’ perspective.

The outcome was clear to everyone: James donned a shirt matching the color from Decision One and declared that he was taking his talent to the famous brand Hennessy. James and the host even perfectly recreated the lines from Decision One, mirroring the scene, attire, and dialogue, essentially turning his decision from fifteen years ago into a playful reference.

I was not surprised by the result at all. When I saw James deliberately teasing the announcement until midnight yesterday, I knew it was most likely a commercial campaign. If he were truly announcing retirement, he wouldn’t have kept everyone waiting for so long.

The interval between James’ teaser and the final announcement was clearly designed to generate hype and maximize the spread. Both James and Hennessy successfully achieved this effect, making it an excellent marketing move from a publicity standpoint.

Of course, such marketing tactics inevitably upset some people. True fans of James will breathe a sigh of relief and still hope he plays longer. Meanwhile, his detractors will feel that James has once again fooled everyone; I have seen many visibly frustrated by this.

Some even use this hype to argue that James will never measure up to Jordan. Those who say this, regardless of whether James has a Decision Two or not, believe deep down that James is not worthy of being compared to Jordan.

A commercial act off the court ends up affecting James’ legacy? If we talk about off-court behavior, Jordan has plenty of things to discuss as well, many of which James would never do. So let the matters on the court stay on the court, and the off-court matters remain off the court.

To take a step back, even if James truly announces retirement this time, those who dislike him will keep criticizing him for doing a “retirement tour.” Likewise, those who compare him to Jordan will point out that Jordan never initiated such a “retirement tour.” So no matter what James does, there will always be critics.

This isn’t the first time James has used his own memes for commercial promotion. Last year, he used his “reading meme” for marketing. The so-called “reading meme” originated when netizens noticed James’ reading photos always showed him stuck on the first few pages. People joked that James “always stays on page one” when reading.

James using his own memes for marketing shows that he really doesn’t mind the “negative labels” attached to him. Bringing Decision One back as a meme indicates he no longer cares much about the event that shook the basketball world fifteen years ago.

In the summer of 2010, after declining his player option, James became a free agent and made the historic Decision One via a live broadcast. On camera, he said, “This fall, I’m taking my talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat.”

This statement caused a huge uproar: fans burned jerseys, Cavaliers owner Gilbert publicly criticized James angrily, and media outlets competed to cover the story. Although James donated all proceeds from the broadcast to charity, years later he admitted the format of the announcement was inappropriate and hurt many people’s feelings.

In 2018, James admitted on a show that he had no idea Decision One would provoke such a reaction. For him, the decision was modeled after high school students announcing their college choices. He even planned to place Cavaliers and Heat hats beside him but ultimately didn’t.

James never went through the college selection process; he went straight from high school to the NBA. When he had his first chance to make a decision in his career, he wanted to hold a ceremony like those high schoolers but never imagined it would cause such a sensation or rewrite NBA history.

Over the following 15 years, free agents gained more influence, and many stars followed James’ example, such as Durant announcing his “next chapter” on The Players’ Tribune in 2016. The balance between players and teams shifted, giving players more power and, in turn, greater earnings.

Reflecting on Decision One, James said, “No matter what you say, I was only 25 then, and I just wanted everyone to like me.” Now, over forty years old, James’ mindset has drastically changed; he no longer cares about pleasing everyone or the criticism Decision Two might bring.

The sensation caused by Decision One was unexpected for James, whereas the hype around Decision Two is clearly part of his plan. From Decision One to Decision Two, the uproar remains constant, and James has firmly taken control as the strategist.

Since Decision One, James has held the chess pieces tightly in his hands. Every decision thereafter fully reflects his personal will, unaffected by outside voices.