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Is LeBron James Really Being Investigated by IOC For Performance-Enhancing Drugs? Exploring Viral Claim
As Team USA continues to impress fans, a rumor claiming that LeBron James is being investigated for taking PEDs has been circulating on the internet. How true is this news? Let's find out.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of drugs
Curious if LeBron James got busted by the International Olympic Committee for using Performance Enhancement Drugs? The answer is a clear NO. LeBron wasn't under IOC investigation for PED use. So, how did this wild rumor take off online? Here's the scoop.
As the U.S. men's basketball team progressed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, a rumor began circulating online claiming that the International Olympic Committee had launched an investigation into LeBron James for using performance-enhancing drugs. The rumor specifically pointed to a supposed weight-loss product called Rapid Lean Keto + ACV Gummies.
But this claim was completely false. In fact, it's tied to a dangerous scam that has been promoting keto gummies as a weight-loss solution for quite some time.
The rumor, or more accurately, the scam, showed up in several Facebook ads in early August. One ad featured a photo of LeBron with the words "We Say Goodbye." The text in the ad said, "LeBron Might Sit Out After Paris" and "This 'Booster' turned up in his locker."
Similar ads on Facebook and Instagram have targeted celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Clarkson, falsely claiming they've endorsed keto gummies for weight loss.
In reality, none of these celebrities have ever endorsed any product described as keto gummies for weight loss.
The link in these Facebook ads took users to a fake ESPN article (which has been archived) hosted on a scam website called greenteamgt.com. The headline read, "Questions Surround LeBron James As Investigation Dives Into His 'Performance Enhancers.'"
ESPN never published this story. It was entirely made up. The article was filled with false claims about LeBron supposedly using Rapid Lean Keto + ACV Gummies. Just to be clear, LeBron never said any of the things mentioned in this fake ESPN article.
Links within the fake ESPN article led users to another scam site hosted on rapidleanbrands.com. This page falsely claimed that CBS News, NBC, CNN, Women's Health, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and other well-known sources had given positive reviews of these gummies.
That same page also advertised "free" bottles of the gummies—but anyone who signed up would actually be hit with charges totaling hundreds of dollars as part of a monthly subscription.
The Rapid Lean Keto + ACV Gummies website listed a phone number (855) 485-8926 and an email address, care@buyrapidlean.com. The website connected to the email—buyrapidlean.com—given its "location" as a mailbox inside a UPS Store in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Typically, customer service reps dealing with inquiries from scam victims follow a script. This script usually only offers a 50% refund to customers requesting their money back. If you find yourself caught up in one of these scams, you should contact your credit card company, report the scam, see if you can get a full refund, and block any future charges from the same seller.
Back in 2013, however, LeBron James was briefly investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the 2013 Biogenesis investigation, according to federal documents obtained by ESPN's Mike Fish. LeBron was also accused by Kevin Garnett of using steroids earlier this year.
LeBron's involvement in the investigation seemed to be more of a coincidence. Trainer David Alexander, who worked with LeBron during his time with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, and LeBron's longtime friend and business associate Ernest "Randy" Mims were both named as recipients of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Investigators discovered that Mims had obtained testosterone for personal use after being referred to Carlos Acevedo, a known dealer of PEDs, by Alexander. Due to LeBron's connections with Mims and Alexander, he was investigated but was found to have done nothing wrong.
READ MORE: When Klay Thompson Trash-Talked LeBron James and Instantly Regretted It During 2016 NBA Final
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