September 16th 2023.
LeBron James is no stranger to the spotlight, but this time he is being linked to the 2013 Biogenesis doping investigation. According to an unredacted federal document obtained by Deadspin, two associates of the LA Lakers forward were named as clients of the now-defunct clinic.
Ernest Mims, a friend and business manager of James, and trainer David Alexander, who worked with him in the past, were named in the documents. It's important to note that James is not accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs and none of the documents accuse him of using steroids.
The documents allege that Mims purchased controlled substances for personal use, without the intent of distributing the drugs to anyone else. Despite being listed in the document, Mims was never charged with any crime or interviewed by federal authorities. Alexander, on the other hand, was listed as a Miami-based personal trainer for James' wife, Savannah. He was also named as an associate of former Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch, where he is said to have traded drugs for new personal training clients, one of which was Mims.
When approached by ESPN, a representative of James reported that he had no idea that he, his wife, or any associates were referenced or named in the Biogenesis investigation until ESPN approached him about the documents last year.
The findings of the Biogenesis Investigation resulted in suspensions for 14 Major and Minor League Baseball players, including New York Yankees outfielder Alex Rodriguez, who was banned for the entire 2014 MLB season after his suspension was upheld on appeal.
Now, James and the Lakers are preparing for another season with high expectations. After the Lakers went 43-39 and got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, the team has added Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince to their roster.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time athletes have been linked to doping investigations. Just recently, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency banned Olympic Silver Medalist Raven Saunders for 18 months. It remains to be seen how these issues will affect the sport, but hopefully the future will be marked by fair and honest competition.
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