LeBron James looked miserable after the Boston Celtics eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. One of the rumored reasons for James’ poor performance from Game 4 to 6 was that he found out his mom, Gloria James, was involved with his teammate Delonte West.
It was one of the craziest rumors in NBA history. A player sleeping with his teammate’s mother would instantly ruin the team’s chemistry, but are there any truths to the insane gossip?
A day after the Celtics dumped the Cavaliers, Deadspin received emails about Gloria’s alleged relationship with West. The information started out as vague to start the day before more details came in.
Sports Gossip website Terez Owens even reported the rumor, and it caught on, as Barstool Sports also published an article on it. However, LeBron James’ attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Terez Owens, as the rumor was not true.
James left the Cavaliers in the offseason, taking his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat. Delonte West was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves before getting waived. He signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics, facing James and the Heat in the playoffs.
West lasted one more season in the NBA before playing overseas in China and Venezuela. He also played for the Texas Legends in the G League in 2015. Since then, West has struggled with mental health illness and substance abuse.
In an interview with the Dallas Morning News in 2012, West finally responded to the rumor and denied that he was involved with Gloria James.
“Number one, something like that never happened,” West said. “I don’t know where they got that from. For a strong Black woman like that, for people to try to tear her down, that’s terrible. That’s terrible in so many ways.”
Meanwhile, “The King” returned to Cleveland in 2014, helping the team and city win their first championship in 2016. He left in 2018 to join the LA Lakers, winning his fourth ring in 2020 inside the NBA bubble.
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Gloria James in attendance as LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time leading scorer
LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday against the OKC Thunder. James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s longtime record in the final seconds of the third quarter, using his signature fadeaway jumper.
Gloria James was one of many in attendance to witness her son’s historic accomplishment. The game was temporarily paused to allow James to savor the moment with his family, teammates and fans. He invited his mother, as well as his wife, Samantha, and his three kids, Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri, to celebrate with him.
