The Winnipeg Jets poked fun at the Miami Heat on Wednesday after the Heat late Tuesday posted — and then deleted — a YouTube link titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” timestamped for July 27.
A Heat spokesperson told ESPN’s Shams Charania the team had been preparing for the possibility that James could sign with Miami and that the link was posted in error, “according to ESPN.”
Other organizations seized on the mistake. The Jets created their own YouTube live post with the same title and a tag suggesting it would go live at 12:23 p.m. local time on July 27. The thumbnail showed James in a Jets jersey with the headline “LePress Conference” and the caption: “Note to self: Don’t upload this yet!” Fans in the live chat wrote comments including “LeWinnipegJets” and “LeHockey.”
The Philadelphia Police Department also staged a mock news conference in response to the original post.
James, entering his 24th NBA season, is an unrestricted free agent for the first time since signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Heat are believed to be front-runners to land the 41-year-old, with the Golden State Warriors also emerging as a potential landing spot.
