Cam Newton Believes Two Things Can Be True About LeBron James' 'Fake' Allegation, Citing Savannah James' Relationship

Former NFL superstar Cam Newton gave his opinion on the allegations that LeBron James is "fake." On Sunday’s episode of Carmelo Anthony’s “7 PM in Brooklyn” show, Stephen A. Smith shared his belief that James has two different personas in public and private life.

Newton also cited comments from Russell Westbrook, who, according to reports, had grown tired of James’ “fake” behavior during his time in LA. Newton shared his thoughts on the matter, citing his relationship with Savannah James as an example of the private life James leads.

“We never hear anything about LeBron James,” Newton said. “He has been militant ever since he was 18 years old; he’s 41. He has grown up right in front of our eyes. Nobody really knows how his and Savannah James’ relationship is.”

Newton continued, suggesting that he doesn’t believe Stephen A. Smith and Westbrook were lying, citing his personal relationship with the pair.

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“Me knowing Stephen A., he won’t lie about that. Me, being a fan of Russ and obviously knowing him, Russ won’t lie about that. And that’s not to say that LeBron James is a bad individual.”

He backed James, explaining how it’s unfair to put him on a pedestal and not expect authenticity:

“What I am going to say is that those experiences can be true. But on the same thing, we can’t put people on these pedestals and not expect them to be authentic.”

Newton went on to explain how these experiences could stem from animosity between James, Stephen A. Smith and Russell Westbrook:

“Who’s to say that LeBron doesn’t like you, Stephen A. Who’s to say, ‘yo Russ, I ain’t really like him.’ You weren’t even a good teammate.”

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Did Russell Westbrook and LeBron James' relationship become the reason for his trade from the Lakers?

The Ringer’s excerpt from Yaron Weitzman’s book explains how Russell Westbrook and LeBron James didn’t see eye-to-eye while they were teammates.

The 2017 MVP reportedly viewed James as “inauthentic,” as Weitzman’s article recounts several instances from Westbrook where he suggests the four-time champion misrepresented himself.

While a dysfunctional relationship between two of the team’s stars was enough reason to let go of Westbrook, the star guard’s fit on the team was also questionable. Westbrook’s style of play never flourished alongside James and Anthony Davis, leading to his trade to the Utah Jazz in 2023.

Edited by Sameer Khan