When former NBA players grab the podcast microphone no person is safe and no topic is sacred, especially if you are a deceased legend or on your way out the door.
Jeff Teague‘s Club 520 podcast has been at the center of podcast controversy the past few weeks. Last week, he was accused of allowing his podcast hosts to step over a line when Magic Johnson and son, EJ, became the target of a backhanded compliment.
Jeff Teague Says LeBron James Used PED While A Member Of Miami Heat…Allegedly
Teague’s latest bombshell, that is sure to ruffle feathers, was delivered on a recent show, when Teague straight up said LeBron James used steroids when he was with the Miami Heat.
“They started testing for HGH and he had to sit out. He said his back was hurting and he sat out for three weeks then came back skinny,” Teague said…”I was in the league, I remember. He came back and was crazy though.”
We have heard plenty of theories and soft accusations credited to hearsay, about LeBron’s supposed PED use. During a conversation about which version of LeBron James was the best, several co-hosts felt Cleveland Cavs Bron was the best version of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
“Miami Heat Bron was on steroids bro,” Teague said. “He had to sit out, he was legit on steroids for real…allegedly,” Teague continued.
Why do PED Allegations Continue To Haunt LeBron James?
Lebron completed his 22nd year in the NBA and as he approaches the age of 41, he has been credited with defying aging through spending more on his body and being more dedicated to good health than any NBA player ever.
His fans would like to think that he’s just that incredible. That he’s the greatest physical specimen the game has ever seen and that’s why he continues to play at an All-star level at a point in his career when the greatest to ever do it, were retired or shells of their prime selves.
Social Media Reacts To Jeff Teague’s PED Accusations
Most fans still refuse to believe that James ever used PED, and many said Teague’s comments would signal the end of his podcast.
“He’s finished,” said one fan referencing Teague’s show in the aftermath of his LeBron comments.
“Damn Teague. The end of an era. Gonna miss 520,” said another fan predicting the show’s downfall.
On the other, hand, Teague’s podcast has continued to push the limits and it’s only rising in popularity. Going at King James is a bold move, but one that is sure to grab people’s attention.
“This rumor been floating for 10 years,” said another fan on X. “Miami was known for some high-end clinics where a buncha MLB players were juicing too.”
“Drake bringing out the big guns now I see,” said one X user in reference to the cold war brewing between LeBron and Drake, where Drake has been accused of snitching on Bron and exposing some personal things about the past.
Others don’t care if Lebron juices or not and accused Jeff Teague of “snitching,” according to one fan.
“The Klutch Mafia is gonna raid the Club 520 Studio,” said another fan
MMA Analyst Was First To Link Bron To EPO
All jokes aside, ESPN MMA analyst Chael Sonnen was one of the first athletes to accuse Lebron of juicing in our faces. Back in 2023, Sonnen was a recent guest on “The Flagrant Podcast” and made some serious accusations against Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Sonnen claims that Bron blood dopes with Erythropoietin (EPO) and that’s the reason he’s able to still play elite basketball 20 seasons in.
“If the world understood what LeBron did, like other basketball players will hear what LeBron does and go, ‘Oh, but that doesn’t matter.’ If you knew what these performance enhancers did, then you would know why it does matter,” said Sonnen on the “Flagrant” podcast.
“We have the same drug guy, I know exactly what he’s doing. 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. You can shoot in the fourth quarter just like you shot in the first quarter. It is the king of performance enhancers.”
People discarded this as Sonnen being a hater, but Sonnen himself failed random drug tests on two separate occasions for human growth hormone, EPO, anastrozole and clomiphene. So maybe he has some insight. Who knows?
It’s more than reasonable to ask about the presence of doping in the NBA and suspect that there are players that do it.
Dan Le Batard and Ric Bucher Believe LeBron James Of Uses Performing Enhancers
Former ESPN host Dan Le Batard also accused LeBron James of prolonging his career with PED.
Le Batard had a response for anyone bashing him for lack of actual proof.
“It’s a timeliness question? We’re living in the age of skepticism, and so if I just make it hypothetical athlete X and I just don’t make it LeBron and everything you know I simply say to you, ‘What do you think is more likely? That an athlete would try to defy age through science at the end of his career. Or that one athlete had a career that defied the limits of the human body, unlike any we have ever seen in terms of mileage and how his body holds up for 20 straight years.’”
“If right now the news came down, that the oldest player in the NBA, who is still doing things that is UNPRECEDENTED for his age, was using HGH. Would anyone be surprised by that?” LeBatard asked.
Hoops analyst Ric Bucher said back in June that players and coaches in the NBA give Lebron James a PED pass.
Of course, Bucher claims to have no actual proof of this, but the sentiment is strong enough that he entered those waters.
“And there’s also the nagging question about exactly how he’s maintained such extraordinary fitness at such a ripe age.” Bucher noted.
“Now, whether there’s any basis for the speculation, and I think you all know what I’m talking about. I’m not gonna voice it because I don’t have the means of backing it up. But we all know what the speculation is out there. And I can assure you, there’s plenty of it privately by players and personnel in the league.”
“Like, I’ve always thought, maybe it could be. And I’ve had players and coaches say things to me like they take it for granted. They take it—they assume it’s true… Look, it could be jealousy, it could just be wild speculation or gossip being presented as fact.”
Teague is the first player to openly say LeBron was using PEDs. He did throw in the word allegedly with some giggles, to avoid a lawsuit, but the smoke and temperature is rising, and LeBron needs to come out and straight dispute these allegations. That would at least quiet the crowd for now.
