A minute before announcing Aaron Donald’s return on X, the Los Angeles Rams appeared to poke fun at the Miami Heat. The team announced Donald would be unretiring and rejoining the roster on a one-year, $20 million deal with incentives.
The reference targeted a July 21 misstep by Miami, which briefly posted a scheduled YouTube livestream titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” that was set for July 27. A team spokesperson later told ESPN’s Shams Charania the Heat’s social media department had been preparing for James’ news and accidentally published the link; it was removed from the channel.
In a preface to the Donald announcement, the Rams posted on X: “Anybody know how to set up a YouTube live stream without it going public? Need to test for something.” One minute after that post, Los Angeles confirmed Donald’s decision to return. The announcement used an image of Donald in a defensive stance with the title “Quarterbacks Rejoice” — the same graphic the Rams used when he announced his retirement in March 2024 — but with “rejoice” crossed out and replaced with “scramble.”
The incident was not unique. The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets shared their own mock introductory conference link for James on July 22 with the same scheduled date and even created a thumbnail showing James in a Jets jersey with the text “LePress Conference.” James did not sign with the Jets or the Heat; he announced he would join the Philadelphia 76ers on July 24.
Donald returns to a Los Angeles defense that already features two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, whom the team acquired in a June trade.
