Oh, snap
Rockets legend Calvin Murphy takes the LeBron James mom-teammate affair public
Lebron James goes in for the slam dunk, leaving Delonte West to hit the floorback when they were on different teams. Which will probably be the case again —soon.
Lebron James with his mom, Gloria James, at the 2008-2009 MVP ceremony
The swelling rumors that Lebron James' mother, Gloria, is having an affair with teammate Delonte West have hit the mainstream.
While James' lawyers initially denied the rumors, first reported by sports gossip blog TerezOwens.com, the affair was confirmed (or at least, sourced) by former Houston Rocket Hall-of-Famer Calvin Murphy Wednesday on Houston's own 97.5 ESPN affiliate radio station.
Murphy told hosts of "The Drive": “It ain’t no rumor. Unfortunately, my sources in the NBA tell me that it’s absolutely true. My sources, and they’re legit, tell me the only people that didn’t know it was happening was LeBron and me.”
The theory now is that the Cavaliers' disappointing play in Games 4, 5 and 6 of their second-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics was due to James' discovery of the affair immediately prior to Game 4. Observers claim to have noted noticeably altered team dynamic and body language.
What does this mean for James' future with the Cavaliers? Popular sports betting site Bodog.com has odds on Lebron's 2010-2011 season destination and Cleveland is no longer the favorite. It's Chicago 3/2, Cleveland 5/4, Miami 15/2, New Jersey 5/1 and New York 5/2 (as of Thursday).
Listen to the Calvin Murphy interview here:
Late August is one of Esquire's best new restaurants.
Photo by Leonid Furmansky