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LeBron’s ‘Second Decision’ Sends Lakers Ticket Prices Soaring

LeBron’s ‘Second Decision’ Sends Lakers Ticket Prices Soaring

Tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular-season finale have surged dramatically after LeBron James released a mysterious video teasing what he called “The Second Decision.”
After James set the sports world buzzing on Tuesday, get-in tickets to the Lakers’ April 12, 2026 matchup with the Utah Jazz had already jumped from $82 to $580 at Vivid Seats, per ESPN. TickPick also reported a price spike from $80 to $445 for the same game, signaling that fans are bracing for the possibility that it could be James’ last regular-season appearance.
‘The Decision’ Revisited
On Tuesday, James posted a 10-second video clip on social media showing him seated across from another man on a basketball court. The screen faded to black, flashing the message:
“The Second Decision … Coming Soon.”
James captioned it:
“The decision of all decisions. October 7th. 12 pm EST.”
The cryptic reference immediately stirred speculation across social media, as fans recalled his infamous 2010 ESPN special, “The Decision,” when he announced his departure from Cleveland to join the Miami Heat. Though that broadcast raised $6 million for charity, it also became one of the most polarizing moments in sports television history — one that James himself has admitted he should have handled differently.
Lakers Star at Career Crossroads
Fifteen years later, the 40-year-old Lakers star faces another potential turning point. Entering his 23rd NBA season, James is playing without a player option or contract extension for the first time in his career — leaving open the possibility that this could be his final year in Los Angeles, or even the NBA.
“I’m excited about an opportunity to be able to play a game that I love for another season,” James said during Lakers media day. “However the journey lays out this year, I’m just super invested because I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’s a lot sooner than later.”
Will LeBron Get His Farewell Tour?
In July, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that James hopes to make his eventual retirement a grand farewell.
“Based on everything that I know about LeBron and all the conversations I’ve had with people in his orbit, I believe that LeBron is going to make it known that he is going to retire before he retires,” Fedor said on Wine and Gold Talk podcast. “He wants the farewell tour. He wants every franchise to relive his moments against them — all the glitz and glam.”
The last player to receive such a send-off was Kobe Bryant, whose final game — fittingly, also against the Utah Jazz — ended with a legendary 60-point performance in 2016.
ESPN Insider Urges Caution
While fans rushed to buy tickets and speculate about a retirement announcement, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne urged restraint.
“We all obviously saw this and thought, ‘Whoa, is he announcing something?’” Shelburne said Monday on NBA Today. “But I don’t know that we should get all that worked up about it just from those first clips. It doesn’t sound like something to get too worried about. He did something similar earlier in the summer, and it ended up just being an ad. So we’ll see what this turns out to be tomorrow.”
Shelburne referenced James’ previous Amazon Prime Day partnership, which he promoted with a similar video. Notably, Amazon’s next Prime Day begins October 7 — the same date as James’ teased reveal.
Whatever “The Second Decision” ultimately turns out to be, fans have already spoken with their wallets. The surge in ticket prices for the Lakers’ April finale shows that even the hint of a major LeBron announcement can send ripples through the sports economy. Whether it’s farewell or fanfare, anticipation alone has turned an ordinary regular-season game into one of the most coveted seats in basketball.