I am not big on the Internet phrase, "OMG." But when I recently read that an NBA vet was confirming the story about LeBron James' mother sleeping with his teammate, Delonte West, the "OMG" phrase was all I could come up with. Former NBA great Calvin Murphy recently appeared on ESPN radio and said that the rumor about the sleeping habits of LeBron's mother was totally true. In fact, he said that this was only part of the story.

Murphy then said that another man was involved in the affair, but didn't say how. He also said that LeBron was so shaken by the incident, that he may take some time off in the upcoming season.

This sequence of events certainly weakens the credibility of the recent cease and desist order that LeBron's attorneys sent out to celebrity gossip blogs, telling us that "no thinking person would believe such rubbish." Perhaps LeBron's attorneys were the only ones not doing any thinking, since we all know that sex happens and damn near anything is possible in the bedroom.

OK, I am not here to get in to the he say/she say of all this, I'll leave that to the gossip blogs. I only have a few quick comments to make about the affair involving LeBron James' mama:

1) Who cares? Isn't it his mother's right to decide who she sleeps with? Every little boy's nightmare is to find out that his mama is less than pristine in the bedroom. But then again, that's how LeBron got here. He might need to do what other little boys do and close his eyes and ears to his mother's personal decisions. It's difficult, but necessary. Simultaneously, most would hope that a good mother would protect her son's feelings and not expose him to things that his mind may not be prepared to deal with. My mother shielded me so much that I thought she was a virgin until I was 18. OK, just kidding.

2) This could spell trouble for the Cavs: LeBron has been talking about leaving Cleveland for a while. This might be the straw that leads LeBron to take his skills elsewhere. At the very least, Delonte West had better make sure he's been saving his chips, since his days in Cleveland may surely be numbered. The fans of Cleveland will have little patience for the man whom they believe to have distracted their basketball savior. Most of us might agree that if the rumors are true, Delonte could have found someone else to sleep with besides LeBron's mother. To be real with you, that's just tacky.

3) Why is Calvin Murphy spilling the beans on this? I would imagine that a great NBA vet would have something better to do than sit on the radio and undermine one of his colleagues in this way. I can't wait to hear what Murphy's motives were in exposing this. Not only is LeBron likely fuming over this, but the NBA may never have a significant role for Murphy after this is done. Given that Murphy is believed to have fathered 14 children with 9 women, he may be a broke "haterologist" sitting on the sidelines throwing mud at those who are getting more attention than him. His radio show was also canceled earlier this year, so perhaps he needs this story to get his life moving again. With Murphy's peculiar past, he has likely become an outsider to the NBA already.

4) Time off from the season? Are you kidding me? Not to say that this incident isn't tragic for LeBron, but he's got to stay focused. I don't believe that the magnitude of this ordeal matches the one that led Michael Jordan to take time off from the game, when his father died. LeBron's got to be tougher than that, and I know he is. I'd be shocked if he takes any time off next year - he's got work to do.




Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.