A Different Kind of Support

Delonte West spent years enduring one of the NBA's most persistent rumors—a rumor swirling around his relationship with LeBron James' mother, Gloria. But in a recent appearance on N3on's Kick livestream, West painted a different picture of the James family.

According to West, James and his mother have been checking in on him and his own mother throughout the years. He described LeBron as "my 'him'" and reserved special praise for Gloria James, recalling how she would call West's mom to ensure she was okay. West recalled Gloria's reassuring message: "Tell your son I see him. He better get it together. Don't make me come check on him."

It's a glimpse into a relationship that has long been overshadowed by a story that first emerged in May 2010. That month, an anonymous email surfaced on the gossip blog Terez Owens, alleging a sexual relationship between West and Gloria James.

The claim was never substantiated. Attorney Frederick Nance, acting on behalf of LeBron and Gloria James, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the blog, calling the allegation "categorically false and per se defamatory."

West himself addressed the rumor in a 2012 interview with the Dallas Morning News, according to Essentially Sports, categorically denying it. "Everywhere I go, first question, 'Oh, tell me you did that,'" he said. "If we want to continue to grow as a human race, what are the suggestions? Everybody's skeptical."

West's recent disclosure comes amid his recovery. He has been open about his life challenges, including a 2008 diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a 2009 weapons arrest, and struggles with substance abuse that led to him leaving the NBA. But in 2020, thanks to the support of people like Mark Cuban, West began a rehabilitation. In March 2026, West marked 100 days of continuous sobriety while in treatment in Florida. By August, he was living in West Palm Beach.

The 2010 Rumor: What We Know

The rumor touched lives in multiple ways. As reported by Heavy., the story was among "the strangest" in NBA history, with James said to have been "livid" about the situation. Some stories at the time suggested his anger might have contributed to his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami in 2010, a claim that has never been confirmed by either party.

The rumor itself originated in the late 2000s, but its echo has endured. West and James have never been publicly linked since, and James has never spoken about it. This silence only adds to the mystery. To this day, not even James's close friends like Dwyane Wade or Chris Paul have ever casually mentioned his mother in interviews.

There were, however, claims from other quarters. The Houston Rockets legend Calvin Murphy—quoted by Heavy—went on record saying that his "sources" told him the rumor was true. Murphy, who said he heard from "NBA insiders," claimed that "the only people that didn't know it was happening was LeBron and me." West denies the rumor in a 2012 interview with the Dallas Morning News.

Heavy also incorrectly identified West as a "current Philadelphia 76ers star" in its article—a clear mistake. In reality, West has not played in the NBA for years, having been in and out of the sphere since the late 2000s.

In any case, the anecdote recounted by West about James's acts of support provides a glimpse of a relationship that was defined by one of the NBA's most bizarre and unverified tales.

His recollection of a practice session in Cleveland is a case in point: West was so troubled he began packing his things. James noticed, left the court, and sat with him for about an hour. It's the same kind of presence West said he missed later on a tarmac after a LA loss. He was able to recall how James, Randy Mims, and Lorenzen Wright remained with him, and how Wright helped him onto the plane.

And West is still speaking to James's family—his mother in particular—which suggests that the bond forged in those difficult moments was sustained in the years that followed, in a different way than the rumor suggested.