LeBron James appears to be playfully dismissing speculation about his upcoming free agency decision. Hours after former teammate Patrick Beverley tweeted that he heard James was planning to announce his choice of team on Monday, James posted a video to his Instagram story featuring comedian Kevin Hart.
In the clip, Hart repeatedly says, "Shut the f— up." James added the caption "BINGO STFU" to the video, a clear, albeit humorous, response to Beverley's tweet.
Beverley, who played 45 games with James on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022 before being traded, had posted, "Rumor has it Bron makes his decision today!!! 👀" on July 20, 2026.
The two players have a history of on-court interactions. During a 2023 game between the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls, Beverley famously made a hook shot over James and then gestured that James was too small, a common NBA taunt.
Beverley retired after the 2024 NBA season after a 12-year career and now hosts "The Pat Bev Show" podcast.
This is not the first time James has deflected questions about his future. At Fanatics Fest recently, James was a guest on Tyrese Haliburton's podcast "Mind the Game." When Haliburton attempted to directly ask James about his decision, James responded, "Didn't we already talk about this in the back," prompting Haliburton to drop the subject.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has reportedly urged James to sign with a team soon due to lingering schedule implications surrounding his free agency.