James took banned drugs while playing for the Heat? Former All-Stars urgently clarified the remarks: I m joking

On July 24, former NBA All-Star guard Teague mentioned on the podcast that James may have used steroids during the Heat. But he quickly clarified his remarks on IG social media, saying that they were just kidding.

Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to challenge age and expectations, and even at the age of 40, he still maintains the top level. As the oldest player in the NBA, his performance of combining athleticism with career length is still unmatched. Teague said on the podcast that James used steroids during the Heat, which caused heated discussion.

"He used steroids at the time, brother. He was absent during that time because he used steroids. Of course, this is just a guess," Teague said in the podcast. "After the alliance started testing for human growth hormone (HGH), he had to quit. He said he had a back injury, had a quit for three weeks, and lost a lot of weight after he came back."

U.S. media said that human growth hormone is not a steroid, but this substance is sometimes illegally used to accelerate recovery, reduce body fat and improve sports performance.

Perhaps seeing his remarks attracted a lot of attention, Teague immediately updated the social media and wrote: "You are so interesting. I said that LeBron was just a joke. He was so dominant back then, can he be calm?"

This is not the first time James has been involved in a similar storm. In March 2023, former MMA athlete Sonnen accused James of using EPO (erythropoietin) to improve his athletic performance in a podcast.

James played for the Heat for four seasons from 2010 to 2014, during which he won the championship in 2012 and 2013. That period was his peak period—his physical dominance on the court was obvious to all.

This summer, James chose to execute the 2025-26 player option worth $52.6 million, which means he will start his 23rd season in the NBA and will still be wearing the Lakers' purple and gold jersey.