JJeff Teague accuses LeBron James of doping... then says it was a joke.

The podcast statement that sparked controversy

An unexpected controversy rocked the NBA this week when former player Jeff Teague suggested that LeBron James had used banned substances during his time with the Miami Heat. The accusation came up on the Club 520 podcast, where Teague said, “LeBron was on steroids, bro...” referring to a supposed three-week absence that was allegedly used to avoid drug testing.

Teague alleged that LeBron faked back pain to avoid HGH (human growth hormone) testing, although he confused HGH with steroids, which are different substances in both composition and regulation.

The data contradicts the version

The statistics quickly disproved this version of events: there is no record of LeBron missing three weeks at that stage with Miami. In fact, James never missed so many consecutive games during that period.After the commotion, Teague took to social media to clarify that it had all been a misunderstanding: “I was joking about Bron,” he wrote in an Instagram story.

LeBron James, for his part, has not commented, and his record remains free of formal accusations or sanctions for doping. So far, his legacy remains intact.