USA Today via Reuters

King James better watch out because they’re coming for his crown! The 20-time All-Star LeBron James has been finding his name attached to the GOAT status for a while, but with that, his name has also been associated with using steroids. In a recent episode of All the Smoke, KG Certified, NBA veteran Kevin Garnett made a statement that took the internet by storm reigniting the age-old debate: is LeBron on steroids?

The conversation started while talking about Bronny, and whether he could score a bucket on his father. Garnett disagreed and remarked, “His dad is on that BALCO, that new juice.”

KG may have made this passing remark to his friend Paul Pierce jokingly, but it ended up going viral, and experts like Jason Whitlock are dissecting it to understand the allegations thrown at the “L” Train.

LeBron James’ involvement in the “BALCO” fiasco

Expert Jason Whitlock acknowledges that the “steroid card” is often played due to the constant comparisons of LeBron James to other GOATs like Jordan and Bryant. investigated and researched the matter even further. However, he further investigated the matter and pointed out how, “ESPN got access to the DA report, a redacted version, and wrote a story that went out of its way to exonerate LeBron James.” All of this refers to an ESPN coverage of the scandal in September 2023.

To explain it further, Whitlock used a rather interesting analogy. He said: “Jason Whitlock was seated in the living room and in his kitchen was his brother and best friend and there was McDonald’s spread out all over the kitchen…big Macs, double cheeseburgers, french fries even a leftover McRib sandwich and investigators came into my house, saw me seated in the living room, saw my brother and one of my best friends seated in the kitchen surrounded by all of this McDonald’s and the investigators came in and say, ‘there’s no proof that Jason Whitlock ate any of this McDonald”.

James was earlier involved in the Biogenesis controversial investigation, but later the investigators cleared his name. Whitlock said, “other guy that looks like a Greek God at age 40 and 41, he got nothing to do with steroids. Not him.”

The investigation into BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) and Biogenesis rocked the sporting world and is considered the biggest sports PED scandal of the 21st century. Biogenesis was a wellness clinic in Miami, Florida, run by Anthony Bosch, who supplied performance-enhancing drugs to athletes. A past investigation into performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sports resurfaced with connections to the LA Lakers superstar LeBron James again last year.

Unsealed documents from the Biogenesis investigation, which rocked Major League Baseball in 2013, revealed that LeBron James’ longtime friend and business manager, Ernest Mims, and his former trainer, David Alexander, were clients of the now-defunct Biogenesis clinic. As Jason Whitlock pointed out, the narrative drawn by ESPN is that these documents do not accuse James of using PEDs, nor do they contain any evidence of his involvement.

Mims was reportedly listed in the documents as purchasing controlled substances for personal use, with no intention of distributing them. He was never charged with a crime or questioned by authorities. Alexander, who previously trained James’ wife Savannah, was allegedly involved in trading PEDs for new clients. One of those clients, according to the documents, was Mims. A representative for James stated that neither James, his wife, nor any associates were aware of their connection to the investigation until contacted by ESPN.

The development last year marked the first significant update in the Biogenesis investigation in several years, suggesting it may not be over yet. While James himself has been cleared of wrongdoing, the connection of close associates to the scandal raises questions and keeps the story alive. Kevin Garnett may have said the statement jokingly but it has received the attention of whoever’s listening, which is practically everyone thanks to social media.

So, what do you think? Is King James really on “that juice” or is his name being sullied to keep him out of GOAT status? Comment your thoughts below!