The NBA Corner: The Women In LeBron's Life Must Hate The Playoffs

By Pierzy - Posted on 09 June 2011

The internet almost broke today.

In case you're a functioning, professional person, you may not have heard the latest rumor explaining why LeBron James took a LeDump in Game 4 of the NBA Finals: Rasard Lewis banged LeBron's girlfriend, Savannah Brinson.

I'm a huge fan of "The Howard Stern Show" but, as part of his new contract, Stern only performs new shows three days per week, so Thursdays and Fridays are tough. Normally, I listen to NPR on those mornings but I had a late night and figured there'd be no better to wake up than to listen to Doug Gottlieb and Chris Broussard stumble through the giggle-fest that is "Mike & Mike In The Morning."

As I was pulling up to my office, Stephen A. Smith, a terrific writer but awful everything else, came on and hinted at something going on with LeBron. He wouldn't say anything more and it didn't sound any smarter or more informed than what the dude who you see at the copier every day said about James.

As the day has progressed, word has leaked that Lewis threw it in James's girl, complete with "a very reliable source who clubs and drinks with all of the athletes that come through Orlando."

So there's that.

You'll recall that a similar story leaked during last year's playoffs.

I never believed that story.

I've seen Delonte West up close. Dude is not a handsome man. He looks weird, he's got that birthmark that girls will always think is a cold sore and he was caught carrying two loaded handguns and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case. That's some DMX-style shit. Minus the dogs.

Given all that, why would Gloria James sleep with him? We're not exactly talking about Rick Fox and if West's interviews are any indication, I don't think he's a very impressive conversationalist. Also, he was a teammate of her son's. This isn't Despearate Housewives. I don't buy it.

Last year, James was crushing everyone in the playoffs and then, inexplicably, he just stopped. There was no explanation for it. The world in which we live no longer allows for "maybe we'll never know," so theories abound.

It's his elbow!

He's trying to sabotage the Cavs!

Delonte West banged his mom!

Someone ate his snack pack!

I don't know what happened. For some reason, LeBron just stopped dominating. I have no idea why. The same thing happened the other night in Game 4. It was a huge game on the road. It was the type of game that elevates a player. And it did just that - it elevated Dirk and Wade.

I thought James received too much criticism for not being aggressive enough in Game 3. He made the smart pass for the game-winning assist. I remember when MJ (sorry) dropped the double-nickel on the Knicks in 1995, the game winning basket came on a pass from a double-teamed Jordan to a wide open Bill Wennington.

Jordan passes to Wennington and it's the smart play, yet James passes to Chris Bosh and he's scared?

I don't think he's scared of the big moment - let's not forget that he torched a good, experienced Pistons team in the Eastern Conference Finals and dragged a team of absolute dreck to the NBA Finals.

There's obviously something going on with LeBron but he's not the first player to struggle in the Finals. Magic Johnson was awful in 1984. Karl Malone came up short in both 1997 and 1998. Kobe shot 6-for-24 in Game 7 in 2010. In none of those cases did people claim that Kurt Rambis seduced Magic's mom or that Karl Malone's girl slept with Mark Price.

Only with LeBron do ridiculous stories sound not ridiculous.

He wasn't able to bounce back after last year's Game 5 wilting but then he took his talents to South Beach and was amazing against both the Celtics and the Bulls. It's impossible to tell what will transpire next.

No one knows what happened last year. No one knows what happened this year.

I'm just curious to find out what happens in the playoffs next year. Does LeBron have a sister?