Former LeBron James Teammate Refuses to Address Whether Lakers Star is on Steroids

The 39-year-old showed little drop-off in his 21st NBA season, at least on offense.

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States forward LeBron James (6) celebrates after defeating France in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

A pair of former Los Angeles Lakers big men briefly touched on current L.A. All-Star forward LeBron James' greatness.

On a recent episode of eight-time All-Star and former Lakers big man Dwight Howard's podcast, "Above The Rim With DH 12," the topic of which player was truly the league's greatest player of all time (a.k.a. the "GOAT") came up.

Four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, who signed on with Los Angeles ahead of the team's 2019-20 championship run but didn't play a single game due to a season-ending injury, lauded James for “doing s— that’s unheard of” at the age of 39 and in his 21st season. “The motherf—– averaging 25 [points per game] as a 40-year-old,” Cousins remarked.

Eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA honoree, five-time All-Defensive Teamer and three-time Defensive Player of the Year center Dwight Howard, who has played for the Lakers across three separate seasons, was also on that team in a reserve role, and claimed his first and only NBA title that fall.

“You think it’s steroids?” Howard interrupted, asking about the possible cause of James' continued, time-defying excellence. In 2023-24, on a 47-35 Lakers club, James appeared in 71 contests, averaging 25.7 points on .540/.410/750 shooting splits, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks a night in 35.3 minutes per. He was named to the 2024 All-NBA Third Team, in addition to his 20th All-Star team.

Cousins wouldn't take the bait, however, noting that he “ain’t gonna get into that.”

Reserve combo guard Quinn Cook, himself a former 2020 Laker, also appeared on the pod. Cook, Howard and Cousins are all now teammates again, on the Taiwan Mustangs.

When he was still playing at an All-Star level, Howard initially joined the Lakers for an ill-fated 2012-13 season, alongside three other fellow Hall of Famers in shooting guard Kobe Bryant, power forward/center Pau Gasol, and point guard Steve Nash. That L.A. club finished with a mediocre 45-37 record and was quickly swept out of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs, who were en route to the 2013 NBA Finals — where they would lose to Finals MVP LeBron James while he was still with the Miami Heat. Howard returned for his second Lakers stint in 2019-20, and finally for the last time on another ill-fated Lakers club, the 2021-22 team that finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs, just two years after winning a title.

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