MIAMI (WSVN) – As the sports world collectively holds its breath about LeBron James\u2019 next career move, a mysterious message online briefly sparked rumors of a possible return to the Miami Heat.<\/p>\n
But the NBA team is cooling off those rumors Wednesday morning, referring to the message that sent many basketball fans into a frenzy as a mistake.<\/p>\n
It all started late Tuesday night, when the Miami Heat\u2019s official YouTube page posted a scheduled livestream link titled \u201cLeBron James Introductory Press Conference,\u201d which was set for this coming Monday.<\/p>\n
That post was quickly deleted, but not before screenshots spread all across social media, immediately sparking speculation that James had already decided to return to the Magic City.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo play with Giannis will be awesome, man, can\u2019t wait to see it,\u201d said fan Nadar Katz.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanna go back to watch the Heat like it was before, you know, he was like the blood for the team and if this happens, it\u2019s gonna be amazing,\u201d said fan Armando Prando.<\/p>\n
But before Heat fans got too excited, a spokesperson for the Heat told ESPN that the club\u2019s social media department was actually preparing for the possibility of James signing and mistakenly posted the link to their team\u2019s YouTube page, stressing that there is no validity to the link and that it was only an internal placeholder posted by accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be a wrong move to say without the deal being closed or anything, but I still hope it wouldn\u2019t change his mind that he would still come over here,\u201d said fan Roy Golan.<\/p>\n
James last played for the Miami Heat in 2014, leading Miami to four straight NBA Finals and two NBA Championships before returning to Cleveland and then later joining the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n
While the Heat insist the post was a mistake, some fans have called it a sign.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know. Maybe that could suddenly create a spark with LeBron, like maybe it\u2019s meant to be, maybe that post right there, that mistaken post, makes him think that, \u2018You know what? Maybe we\u2019ll just go right back to Miami,’\u201d said fan Osem Hunter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this would happen, it would be, I think, a dream for the Miami fans, him coming back like his prime, and I really hope to see it,\u201d said Golan.<\/p>\n
Others acknowledged it was more likely to just be a genuine mistake.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has seen it, social media is alive and well. I think everybody probably had something like that ready that thinks LeBron is going there so I\u2019m not going to put too much stock into it but we\u2019ll see if it comes true,\u201d said fan Jamie Rivera.<\/p>\n
Eagle-eyed fans also noted that the organization recently posted openings for a director of YouTube strategy and a junior social media content creator. The incidental timing of those job listings has led to its own speculation, which can\u2019t be verified.<\/p>\n
The post Tuesday came just days after Heat President Pat Riley discussed James\u2019 future during an appearance on \u201cThe Dan Lebatard Show,\u201d further fueling speculation about the possible return to South Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just sort of waiting, you know, from that standpoint, so this is a man\u2019s decision, and you let him make that decision. He has the right to do that, and so, I\u2019m not calling Rich [Paul, James\u2019 agent], every day and bugging him. He\u2019ll make a decision,\u201d said Riley.<\/p>\n