“That’s what PEDs can do for you”: NBA fans react to Shannon Sharpe & Gilbert Arenas for crowning LeBron James the physically gifted athlete ever

NBA fans had mixed reactions to former athletes turned media personalities Shannon Sharpe and Gilbert Arenas hailing LeBron James as the most physically gifted athlete ever. While some agreed with their assessment, others raised questions about whether The King was naturally gifted.

On the Night Cap Show, Sharpe asked Arenas who he believed the most physically gifted athlete ever was.

Without hesitation, Arenas answered that it was LeBron James, saying:

“From top to bottom, usually a guy is not built as solid as him that height,” Arenas said.

Some fans who watched the conversation between Sharpe and Arenas on Instagram claimed that LeBron James could perform at his level even at 39 years old because of the use of performance-enhancing drugs or PEDs.

One said:

“That’s what PEDs can do for you.”

Here are a few comments:

Fans claim LeBron James uses PEDs

Fans on Twitter had different reactions, mostly agreeing on Sharpe and Arenas.

Allegations on LeBron James using PEDs have been hurled in the past

Bodybuilder Bradley Martin, a popular YouTuber, once alleged that LeBron James was using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to sustain his athletic prowess over time.

“If it is not the juice, it is something quote-unquote 'illegal substance' to make them more efficient, to make them recover faster,” Martyn said.

Meanwhile, former MMA fighter Chael Sonnen claimed that James had been using PEDs to maintain his athleticism, even suggesting that they shared the same supplier.

"And he and I have one thing in common, we use the same drug dealer to buy our EPO. And I don't see anything wrong with that...It was something called EPO (erythropoietin)," Sonnen said.

"And in the world of performance-enhancing drugs, in my experience, EPO is king. And it is king by eight. I would pass up five other stuff just to have that. But it's very, very difficult to get. It's very expensive. We happen to have the same guy," he added.

EPO is a natural hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow. When used as a performance-enhancing drug, synthetic EPO is often administered to increase the red blood cell count, enhancing an athlete's endurance and oxygen-carrying capacity.

The NBA's Anti-Drug Program includes testing players for a variety of substances, with penalties for positive tests ranging from suspensions to permanent disqualification from the league. EPO, being a banned substance, is subject to testing and sanctions under this program.

While such claims have been made, there is no evidence to support the assertion that James has used PEDs.