On March 12, 2014, CNBC anchors asked how Samsung should exact revenge on LeBron James after the NBA superstar tweeted about losing all the data on his phone.

King James, then a high-profile Samsung brand ambassador with roughly 12 million Twitter followers, tweeted: “My phone just erased everything it had in it and rebooted. One of the sickest feelings I’ve ever had in my life!!!”

The Miami Heat player, who’s a Samsung brand ambassador in the US, and is said to use a Galaxy Note 3, deleted the tweet not long afterwards. But it was too late. It had already gone viral.

LeBron, who uses the handle @KingJames, got his data back with the help of the folks at Samsung who were presumably not amused. He later tweeted: “Close call. Wheew! Got all my info back. Gamer! Lol.”

But two things immediately occurred to me.

Why did the CNBC anchors—even if it was a little tongue-in-cheek—feel the need to solicit ideas for “revenge?” To me that’s a sign of today’s cutthroat business culture. Sure he made a blunder and he should have known better. But revenge? Come on. I’ve never understood the need for revenge professionally or personally. That’s the kind of negative energy that gets you nowhere. He’s the brand ambassador, you don’t seek revenge from your “brand ambassador.” And, plus when did CNBC start reporting on tabloid-esque tweet drama?

Twitter is a wonderful means of communication. But it needs to be treated with respect. It makes sense to consider what you’re writing before transmitting a message to the world. LeBron was the latest example at the time of a celebrity tweeting an impulsive comment that misfired. It’s all too easy to share one’s feelings without applying a filter or at least counting to 10! So, be careful what you put out there—especially if it conflicts with your multi-million dollar endorsement deal.

It was not Samsung’s only awkward promotional moment that month. If you watched the Oscars you saw host Ellen Degeneres take a celebrity-filled selfie with her Galaxy Note 3. That post drew more than half a million retweets within minutes. But backstage she was reportedly tweeting with her iPhone. Go figure.

At the time, there was no suggestion that Samsung planned to punish either endorser. The company took the adult, professional stance.

LeBron James’s goof was avoidable. But it was still a phone complaint, not a reason for revenge.

Sometimes we take social media too seriously, and CNBC did that time around.