Mike Miller Reveals ‘Test Tube Baby’ LeBron James Moment Where He Gained 6Lbs After Sweating For 50 Minutes In The Playoffs

Sharing a locker room with LeBron James isn’t something many basketball players in history can boast about, but Mike Miller was determined to be on the same team as The King. Between 2010 and 2013, Miller was teammates with James in Miami, which gave him some rather interesting stories to share—one bizarre tale involving LeBron gaining weight after an intense game.

Miller joined the Heat in 2010 after spending a couple of years in Washington, D.C., and James was the primary reason why. In fact, he turned down much bigger offers just to head over to the Sunshine State and chase a ring with arguably the NBA’s hottest player at the time.

“They threw $60-something million at Mike Miller. Mike Miller turned that down. Mike Miller turned down $60 million to sign $30 million in Miami,” Gilbert Arenas said in his podcast two years ago.

He did go on to win championships in both 2012 and 2013. But perhaps what Miller remembers most from his time at the Heat is how Bron managed to increase the weights on his scale after a grueling Game 6 bout against the Indiana Pacers.

“At home against Indiana in the playoffs. Weight body fat’s always on Thursday in Miami… And he weighed in before that game, like maybe, 267 maybe—I might be off on the weight, but the story is the same—He goes and plays, it’s an overtime game. I’m almost positive, and he has ridiculous numbers,” Miller revealed.

After playing around 50 minutes in that overtime battle against the Pacers, Miller was shocked to see James’ weight increase. “He weighs like six pounds heavier after the game, and that’s why I’m like, he’s a test tube baby. He’s not real,” he added.

It’s a staggering revelation—one that might seem unbelievable, since it’s hard to imagine a high-performance athlete gaining six pounds in a game where they undoubtedly sweat profusely.

Athletes across various sports, including F1 drivers, have spoken in depth about losing weight after races due to the amount of sweat lost while competing. Even fighters in combat sports like the UFC or boxing undergo intense cardio sessions before weigh-ins to shed weight.

That said, James has had difficulties shedding weight before, which might explain the anomaly that so sincerely baffled Miller that day.

LeBron James’ battle with losing weight in the past

In 2014, when James ended his stint with the Heat and returned to Ohio to play for the Cavaliers again, he was struggling to lose weight. He wanted to get lighter, dropping from 270 lbs to around 250—a goal he achieved, but not without making some sacrifices.

“I’ll tell you what I couldn’t have: no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no refined sugar, no nothing. Meat. Fish. Veggies. Fruit,” the then 29-year-old said in an interview with CNN, before revealing that he couldn’t go near three of his favorite, rather naughty food items: ice cream, cookies, or pancakes.

“I had the cookie monster chasing me a few times in my dreams,” James humorously added.

Performance-wise, however, he never showed any signs of struggling with weight difficulties. LeBron James went on to shine after rejoining the team that drafted him. Although outshone by the dynasty-defining Golden State Warriors during that stint (2014–2018), he still won a title with his home side in 2016, coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals against the Warriors.