LeBron James’ remarkable longevity continues to be one of the most talked-about feats in the history of sports. At 40, he is one of the best players in the league while competing against those nearly half his age. LeBron’s career trajectory has been unlike any other great of the game in terms of longevity. But other than widespread admiration, it also makes some people question his method.
Advertisement
LeBron has been fighting off PED allegations for a long time. The allegations got more momentum when UFC legend Chael Sonnen spoke about it on the Flagrant podcast two years ago.
Sonnen claimed that he knows exactly the kind of drugs LBJ uses for performance enhancement. He is no stranger to drug use himself, having failed multiple drug tests in his UFC days. Sonnen said, “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.”
Chael Sonnen claims Lebron James takes PEDs. “We have the same drug guy, I know exactly what he takes”.
( via Flagrant 2 podcast) pic.twitter.com/EDnCHatxhX
— Jo (@MavsStan41) March 8, 2023
Even though this claim sparked a lot of discussions, people didn’t believe Sonnen because he has a long history of making outrageous comments.
However, recently, a more dependable voice raised concerns. During a podcast appearance, Tracy McGrady said, “It is the greatest thing my eyes have seen in sports for a 40-year-old guy to do what he’s doing, at that level and to do that consistently…I don’t know how he’s doing it, I hope it’s the right way.”
“I don’t know how he’s doing it (LeBron), I hope its the right way… (pause 👀👀)”
They asked T-Mac who the GOAT is and he gave LeBron his praise but refused to name a guy. He also has his doubts LeBron is doing what hes doing clean! 💉🤔🤔
(sportsbiocorner YT) pic.twitter.com/NqtwfgU7W1— Jacob (@Jacobtheclipper) April 3, 2025
Although McGrady didn’t explicitly mention PED use, it’s understandable what he meant by “the right way.” In reality, there are only allegations against LeBron, as he has never failed an NBA drug test.
LeBron James takes care of his body
There have been a few athletes in the NBA who have played in their 40s. However, they weren’t nearly as dominant as LeBron at this age. As per LeBron, the secret to his longevity is pretty obvious: he just knows how to take care of his body.
LBJ invests a lot in his recovery and conditioning. With a proper team dedicated to keeping his body in shape, he has been able to play for over two decades.
There have been some positive rumors about the 40-year-old as well. One of those rumors was that LeBron spends over a million dollars on his body annually. Looking at his shape and fitness at this age, it was easy to believe that the rumors might be true.
However, during his appearance on Pat McAfee’s show, he laughed it off.
“I don’t know where the hell that shit came from
😂😂😂
I do take care of my body but I don’t know where that number came from” ~ @KingJames #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7YhdivyBm0
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2025
LeBron said, “I don’t know where the hell that sh*t came from…I don’t know where that came from, but I do take care of my body, but I have no idea where the amount of money came from.”
Although it’s not a million dollars per year, the annual expense must be a big number considering his willingness and ability to do everything in his power to stay in great shape.