On Monday, LeBron James sent the basketball world into a frenzy by posting a clip that recreated his setup for the viral “The Decision” special in 2010. The video concluded with the message, “Second Decision Coming Soon,” and it was announced that the full interview would be released Tuesday.
Many thought James, who is currently out with sciatica and expected to miss the start of the season, was preparing for a retirement announcement and responded by buying tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers’ final games of the 2025-26 regular season.
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“When I saw that post, I read the comments and I really truly believed, along with many other people, that this was going to be it,” said lifelong Lakers fan Andrew Garcia. “What could he possibly be announcing? There was no indication of any advertisement.”
Instead, it proved to be the introduction of James’ partnership with the liquor company Hennessy. Fans who spent hundreds of dollars on tickets were outraged, knowing that they could resell for only a fraction of the price.
Garcia took it a step further. He filed suit against James in Los Angeles County Small Claims Court on Wednesday for “fraud, deception, misrepresentation and any and all basis of legal recovery.” The 29-year-old is claiming he is owed $865.66, the money he paid for two tickets to the Lakers’ matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 31, 2026. He quickly purchased the tickets after he saw Monday’s video announcement from James.
“I immediately jumped at the opportunity and secured tickets to a game almost six months in advance,” Garcia said. “I never do that. If I buy tickets, I buy them five to six hours in advance.”
Garcia selected the March 31 game, assuming it would be the final time that James would face Cleveland. Attending one of the final games in James’ career was something he had envisioned for quite some time.
“When Kobe Bryant was retiring, I was much younger and was unable to attend any Lakers games that year because I wasn’t financially able to obtain them,” Garcia said. “So I’ve always told myself and people I know, if and when (James) finally announces that this will be his last season, I would want to go because I missed out on that opportunity with Kobe.”
On Monday night, Garcia went to play in his adult basketball league. He discussed James’ possible retirement with his buddies. When the Hennessy ad was posted to social media Tuesday morning, Garcia’s friends informed him of the news, teasing him for buying the tickets.
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“I didn’t put emotional stress in this claim, but I probably should have,” Garcia said. “I’m not looking to strike it rich. I just filed for a bare-bones refund. I’m not a money-grab type person.”
California small-claims court prohibits a lawyer from appearing on behalf of the client, but Garcia said he has spoken with representatives from James’ legal team, including New York-based attorney Robert Strent. When he told Strent about the case’s rationale, Garcia said Strent laughed. Strent did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Athletic.
Garcia does not plan to make this easy on James or his lawyers.
“In small claims, I cannot serve his representation,” Garcia said. “Even if they’re willing to accept process. It’s a California guideline. If he’s unwilling to get served at his residence, the Beverly Hills address that’s listed on the filing, I’m going to have to have a process server serve him at Crypto.com Arena during a game. This is not going away.”
Garcia insists this lawsuit has nothing to do with making money. It’s much deeper than that.
“A lot of it to me is based off of principle,” Garcia said. “It’s not even so much about winning or losing. I mean, we’re talking about a small-claims case here. We’re not talking about some big ordeal. Even if I have to go forward with the actual hearing and even if I lost, it is what it is. I’m standing up for what I believe, and I also feel like I’m standing up for other fans who were victims of the same thing.”
