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Formerly Accused of Taking PEDs, NFL Veteran Comes to LeBron James’ Defense: “Shots at the King, Hope They Don’t Hit”

Published 03/11/2023, 6:10 AM EST

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NBA superstar LeBron James is one of the best athletes the league has ever seen. He has missed few games due to injury, having played in several despite being injured and being one of the least injury-prone stars in the league. However, the same cannot be said about the past few seasons. Despite this, the four-time NBA champion is still performing at the highest level. At 38, he is putting up great numbers against athletes who are a decade or two younger than him. However, his longevity and his displays at 38 have raised a few eyebrows. Recently, former UFC star turned analyst Chael Sonnen accused James of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Sonnen’s comments stirred major controversy. Now, former NFL player, Marcellus Wiley, who was once accused of using PEDs has come to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s defense.

Marcellus Wiley on Chael Sonnen’s accusations

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In one of the recent episodes of his podcast, Marcellus Wiley reacted to Chael Sonnen’s claims that LeBron James takes PEDs. Talking about it, Wiley said that he does not accuse anyone of using PEDs unless he has seen someone take it personally or if someone fails a drug test. The former defensive end brushed aside the claim as a rumor that is being spread because of how fit LeBron is and the way he is playing at 38. He then talked about a former NFL punter who was on steroids and noted that the way an individual looks does not give away if they are on PEDs.

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He stated, “You can’t just look at somebody and think they are on steroids.” However, he then left it open-ended suggesting James is innocent until proven guilty that is until he fails a drug test. Wiley added, “But I do know from the inside in athletics, track fan I am. Whoever is using (PEDs), tries to stay one step ahead. So maybe we are in that situation. I’m not sure. But Chael Sonnen shots at the king, hopefully, they don’t hit.”

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Wiley also recounted how he was once accused of taking steroids when he went from a 6′ 180 lbs running back his freshman year to a 6’4″ 280 lbs defensive end when he graduated. He added that steroids cannot help in improving one’s height.

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Chael Sonnen’s claims about LeBron James

Chael Sonnen accused LeBron James of taking PEDs during a podcast appearance. He accused James of using EPO and also added he and the four-time NBA MVP have the same “drug guy”. According to a report from ESPN, he said, “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.”

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Notably, Sonnen himself failed multiple drug tests during his fighting career and was caught using erythropoietin (EPO) and growth hormone. Furthermore, he recently admitted that he was not caught taking several other drugs.

What do you think about Chael Sonnen’s claims about LeBron James? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Bagavathi Eswaran

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Bagavathi Eswaran is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He has been playing the game of basketball for more than 20 years now and has also been following the NBA for more than 10 years. After not being able to go pro, this former college player decided to join the IT industry.
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Edited by:

Aayush Kapoor