NBA Stars’ Sneaky Alcohol Ads

While most people look forward to the summer, NBA addicts like myself dread the long months of the offseason. During this time with no games, I stay entertained by following the petty drama and news about the league.

And while I’ll admit that this offseason did have its fair share of eventful moments – superstar trades, free agent signings, a beef between a former and current player and even allegedly fraudulent brand deals – there were also a few well-timed player “announcements” that took advantage of my hunger for NBA news.

On Oct. 6, for example, Los Angeles Lakers’ star LeBron James posted a cryptic message on X referencing “The Second Decision” – a nod to his career-altering free-agency signing with the Miami Heat popularly known as “The Decision.”

So what could this mean? Commenters on X took their best guess at what King James would be announcing the following day:

Jokes aside, the leading theory was that the 40-year old LeBron was finally going to hang it up. With the odds of him announcing retirement reportedly greater than a coin flip, the cheapest tickets for what was presumed to be his final regular season game jumped from $82 to $580.

But the grey-haired billionaire instead announced a new partnership with Hennessy (and that he was returning for a 23rd season), leaving some die-hard LeBron stans to go through a roller-coaster of emotions:

Similarly, amidst trade speculation and offseason internet drama, about a week later Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks dropped a teaser on X called “It’s Time.” But by this time, fans were quick to predict that the NBA All-Star was just following in LeBron’s footsteps:

Although it wasn’t Hennessy, Trae’s big announcement was indeed another ad for an alcoholic beverage – Crooked Tea.

After more than a year at TINA.org, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I fell for LeBron’s ad campaign. (Fortunately, by Trae’s announcement I had wised up.) But beyond my own frustrations, these kinds of marketing tactics can have real consequences for the millions of consumers who follow these stars on social media.

For example, after spending more than $800 on Lakers’ tickets believing that LeBron was going to announce his retirement, one fan sued the NBA legend. (The lawsuit was later dropped.) Additionally, the NBA has a significant number of underage fans, leading one former player to criticize LeBron for inviting kids to a “Hennessy party.” (TINA.org has investigated alcohol brands’ marketing to minors through celebrity endorsements in the past.)

As for me, there’s nothing more disappointing than expecting entertainment and getting an ad. Now that the regular season has started, I can turn my focus to the real action. But I’ll have my eyes open for more of these misleading teasers.