At this point, LeBron James is so successful that even people who’ve never watched an NBA game in their lives know who he is — or at least know he exists. He’s been in the league long enough to cement his place alongside Michael Jordan before even retiring, and impressively, he’s managed to do it all without getting caught up in any major scandals. But being squeaky clean doesn’t mean he’s been immune to wild rumors.
James has played professional basketball long enough to share the court with his own son, Bronny — on the same team, no less. But for all his records, championships, and GOAT debates, James doesn’t want to be remembered just for his longevity or skills. “You know, I feel like if it’s just the game of basketball — that people talk about me in the sense of, I think, I’ve kind of failed my mission. So the things that I do in my community, the way myself and Savannah raised our kids, my relationship with my single-parent mother, my friendship with my guys, bringing up my people from my hometown,” he shared on the “Uninterrupted” podcast. “If those conversations don’t hit the barbershop, if they don’t hit forums, or whatever the case may be, then I feel like my mission wasn’t completed. And I’m not done. I’m old as f**k in basketball terms, but I’m super young in life.”
Chances are, James will secure his legacy beyond basketball. But the rumors? Those will probably follow him forever. And here are some of the biggest ones.
The 2003 draft was rumored to be rigged so LeBron could go to Cleveland Cavaliers
One of the biggest conspiracy theories about LeBron James’ NBA career started before he even dribbled a ball in the league. Back in 2003, after Michael Jordan retired (for real this time), the NBA was in a slump. Ratings had dipped, fans had checked out, and the league desperately needed a new superstar to revive the excitement. The hope was that the next wave of rookies — headlined by James — would breathe life back into the NBA. But when the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that just happened to be in full tank mode, won the draft lottery and got to pick the hometown kid from Akron? Predictably, people had questions.
James, of course, already had a good feeling he’d go No. 1. He was the undisputed golden boy of the 2003 draft, the kind of generational talent that teams would sell their souls for. He also had a $90 million Nike deal before he even set foot on an NBA court. “There had been a lot of speculation that I was going to be the No. 1 pick so I knew whoever won the lottery, that’s where I was going,” he told ESPN. “So of course I was nervous. We had rented out this suite at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Akron and all my friends and family were there. I just remember sitting alone with everyone behind me. And with each pick I could hear this buzzing behind me.”
And surprise, surprise — the Cavaliers won the draft lottery and picked LeBron. Sure, the whole thing seemed almost too convenient — borderline suspicious, even — but there was never any concrete evidence of foul play. And, in the end, James didn’t stay in Cleveland forever anyway.
Did LeBron James fake his age at the start of his career?
LeBron James was so dominant as a rookie that some people straight-up refused to believe he was actually 18. The theory? That he’d faked his age and was actually pushing 30 — because how else could a teenager bulldoze seasoned NBA veterans and make it look effortless? His early high school dominance only fueled the speculation, with skeptics convinced he had a few extra years under his belt.
Of course, time did its thing, and James debunked the theory himself — by continuing to dominate well into his late 30s. If he really was an old man back then, he should be using a rocking chair by now, not putting up MVP-level performances. “We can still play this game at a high level no matter how many miles, how many games, no matter how many doubters, no matter the statistics in our respective profession at our age,” the athlete told The Los Angeles Times. “We can still dominate our sport.”
Even NBA coaches agree — James is somehow better now than he was in what was supposed to be his peak. “He does everything better than he did five or six years ago, which was supposed to be his prime,” Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone, meanwhile, thinks people have always overlooked what really makes James great: the work he puts in. “Everyone never gave him credit for the work ethic he had and the amount of time he put into his craft, into his body — after practice, before practice, in the weight room,” Malone said. “People would just say, ‘Oh, he’s just a freak athlete.’ I think that was always doing him a disservice.”
Did teenage LeBron really play against Michael Jordan?
LeBron James never got the chance to play against Michael Jordan in the NBA, which means basketball fans were robbed of the ultimate GOAT vs. GOAT showdown. But rumor has it, the two did face off — just not on a professional stage. And for once, a basketball conspiracy theory turned out to be true.
During an appearance on the “New Heights” podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, James confirmed that as a teenager, he played pickup ball with Jordan on his private “Hoops” court in Chicago. And it wasn’t just M.J. — other NBA greats like Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Metta “Metta World Peace” Sandiford-Artest, and Michael Finley were there too. “I was unguardable. Listen, I was 16; I was a high school sophomore,” he said. “When I finally got out there, I was like, ‘I’m busting ass, man.’ I was nervous as hell being out there with M.J. and the rest of those guys, but I was like, ‘I’m about to go crazy.’ And I did.”
Artest even backed up the story, admitting that even as a teenager, James was already a force to be reckoned with. “He was cooking. Nobody could guard him. I’m like, ‘I’m getting mad, he’s embarrassing us,'” he recalled in a “Podcast P with Paul George” guesting. “He’s coming in at full speed, LeBron James — boom; I lay him on the floor. He get up and start cooking more; he’s just tough. He was about 225 (pounds) at that time, but I remember him just being tough.”
LeBron was also rumored to be taking performance-enhancing drugs
LeBron James is, without a doubt, one of the most talented players to ever step foot on an NBA court. He’s shattered records left and right, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats. Even in the years when most players would be gearing up for retirement, he’s still putting up ridiculous numbers. But with that level of dominance comes speculation, and one of the most persistent conspiracy theories is that James is juicing or using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
Former MMA fighter Chael Sonnen is one of the loudest voices pushing this claim, alleging that LeBron is using EPO (erythropoietin), a drug that boosts red blood cell production to enhance stamina and performance. “If you know what these performance enhancers did, then you would know why it does matter … We have the same drug guy. I know exactly what he’s doing,” he said in an appearance on the “Flagrant” podcast. “EPO matters, it’s the reason LeBron takes it, it matters. EPO increases your red blood cells, which gives you endurance so you can play all game long.” Former NBA star Kevin Garnett threw in his own take — though his theory was more of a roast than an actual accusation. When discussing Bronny James’ dunking ability, he joked on the “Ticket & The Truth” podcast, “He is, but have you seen his dad? His dad is on that BALCO — he’s on that new juice.”
Of course, none of these claims have ever been proven. And in fairness to LeBron, he’s never failed a drug test in his entire career. But when a player is still outpacing guys half his age, the speculation writes itself.
According to some people, LeBron cheated on his wife
LeBron James isn’t just the subject of wild NBA conspiracy theories — his personal life gets plenty of speculation, too. And since NBA players don’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to fidelity, some people assume James must be just like the rest.
Podcaster Sofia Franklyn is one of the more vocal conspiracy theorists on this front, claiming that James is a serial cheater who forces his hookups to sign NDAs. “LeBron James has various parties constantly, where NDAs need to be signed, and women are at,” she claimed in an episode of the “Sofia with an F” podcast. “You didn’t know that? You didn’t know LeBron’s a cheetah?” Akademiks has pushed an even wilder claim —that James and rapper Drake used to set up “two-man” sessions where they’d sleep with women together. “Yo LeBron, I talked to enough w****s in Canada,” he said in a livestream. “Yo LeBron, you and Drake used to go on two-mans, OK? You’ve been cheating on your God damned wife. Drake used to facilitate the h***s, and basically, essentially, you can’t dance to a song about him being a pedophile. He used to supply you with the b***hes. I’m sorry, my n***a.”
Of course, none of these claims have ever been proven. And James has never wavered in his praise for Savannah, crediting her as the backbone of his success. “My wife takes care of my business, man. She’s the best. Without her, I wouldn’t even be in this position,” he told a reporter. “To be able to do what I do and love the game. I love it. So, to have my wife and my two boys and my daughter here and the rest of my family here, it was everything.”
