LeBron James has made waves once again on social media after his latest Instagram story post went live on Tuesday. The video, which was just a few seconds long, featured James at the pool with a bottle of Hennessy and a book titled “The First Page.”
LeBron tagged Hennessy at the bottom, so it’s likely some kind of paid promotion for the infamous spirits brand. James has been known to work with the company for years now, dating back to before the 2016 Finals when the Cavaliers made it their drink of choice during championship celebrations.
Of course, most fans were focused on the book. For the initiated, it might just seem like an ordinary video of LeBron reading but those in touch with NBA social media probably already know the deeper meaning at play.
Throughout his career, LeBron had made a habit out of reading books in the open, from “The Alchemist” and “The Hunger Games” to “Decoded” and “The Tipping Point.” We’ll never know if James completed these books and there’s a running joke that he’s never actually read through them. When asked for quotes, his responses have often been ambiguous.
Most times LeBron has actually been seen reading in public spaces, he’s been at or near the beginning of the book, prompting wild conspiracy theories that he’s just putting on some facade and pretending to read for the media. Fans are constantly questioning his authenticity with the media and the thinking is that he’s using the books as a prop to shape his image as an intellectual and deep-thinking individual.
Of course, LeBron and his camp have denied these claims but now he seems to be poking fun at them in this latest ad campaign for Hennessy. While some fans take it as him coming clean with his act James believes he doesn’t have anything left to prove to anyone.
After 21 years in the NBA, and counting, LeBron has done and seen everything there is as a player. He’s a 4x champion, a pioneer of basketball, a successful businessman, and a happy family man. Over two decades in the league, James has built a legacy that will never fade away and he has yet to jeopardize his reputation with a needless scandal.
Now, as he prepares for his 22nd campaign, LeBron is on a mission to keep the streak going and prove the haters wrong yet again. After an impressive showing at the Olympics this summer, where he averaged 14.2 points and 10.2 assists per game, James is ready to re-take his place as a superstar this season and help the Lakers compete for a title in the West.
No doubt, the Hennessy will be waiting for when/if the Lakers are able to make a run but there’s plenty of work to be done in the meantime. Both on and off the court, these next few months will be big for the King and it could set the stage for the last phase of his career.
