There was a collective sigh of relief when LeBron James announced that he wasn’t retiring this season. But Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has hit out at the media and fans after the speculation over whether the 40-year-old went into overdrive following a Monday tease of a Tuesday announcement. JJ Redick didn’t mince his words when discussing the speculation over LeBron James’ possible retirementGettyJames teased ‘the decision of all decisions’ on Monday, sporting a checked shirt that was meant to evoke the environment in which he announced ‘The Decision’ of joining the Miami Heat from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 free agency.24 hours later, though, that it was just an advertisement to unveil a collaboration with cognac brand Hennessy to produce a limited edition V.S.O.P. which will be available globally in select markets later this month.But in Redick’s media availability ahead of the new season which tips off on October 22, the Lakers coach didn’t hold back, when asked about whether he thought the clip was a retirement announcement.“You guys are idiots…we all knew it was an ad, right?” Redick said.“I think most people that text me are also aware that it’s probably an ad…So nobody was freaking out.”Last season, the first under Redick, 21-time All-Star James averaged 24.4 points shooting at a 51.3 percent clip, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 regular season outings, which saw him finish sixth in the MVP rankings.Hachimura and Reaves reveal they also speculated James was retiringBut Redick wasn’t the only one asked about the social media clip, with Lakers stars Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves also asked. The Japanese forward also admitted that he too had to double-check.“I text him too,” Hachimura revealed. “He was using those weird emojis. I don’t even know what those mean. I didn’t understand. “He love to do those kind of stuff, surprises.”Hachimura (L) and Reaves (R) had to double-check that James (C) was not actually announcing his retirementGettyFour-time NBA champion LeBron James has personified greatness and is about to enter Year 23 – the first player in NBA history to do soGettyReaves spoke of how he received some phone calls from his friends to ask to confirm – or deny — the speculation of James’ retirement.“I got a couple of calls like ‘what is this?’, Reaves told the media. “It had the world by a hold from whenever he released it to whatever time he sent it this morning.”“Obviously people [were] thinking that he was retiring. I’m glad he’s not. That’s all I can say.”Reaves was also asked if he has ever tried the alcoholic drink that James was promoting, to which he revealed that he doesn’t drink.He then added: “If I start, I guess it’ll be that.”This season will be a first for James in a multitude of ways. Luka Doncic and LeBron James will take part in their first full season as a duoGettyThe basketball superstar will become the first player in NBA history to have played in 23 seasons, breaking the tie he held with newly-inducted Hall of Famer Vince Carter, who spent 22 seasons in the league.But, this will also be the first time in his career where he will be playing on an expiring contract, with him in the final year of the two-year, $1101.4 million extension with the iconic Lakers franchise. His base salary of $52.6 million will take up 34 percent of the Purple and Gold’s salary cap, just under five percent more than that of new superstar teammate Luka Doncic. The Serbian standout, who was dealt to Los Angeles by the Dallas Mavericks in a trade that stunned the entire NBA last season, sees his $46 million base salary for the upcoming season taking a cap hit of 29.7 percent. Stay up to date with the latest from the NBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.