Everyone Is Talking LeBron James and Delonte West, But Guess Who's Not?

I recently wrote an article that made light of the rumor circulating which concerns LeBron James, Delonte West, and James' mother Gloria, and I was promptly criticized for taking an advantage of an unsubstantiated rumor.

Although I tried to explain my intentions were based in humor alone, I can definitely understand the sentiment when considering the fine line between honest journalism and attempts to generate reads.

Bleacher Report may be one of the best fan-based media outlets on the Internet, but there are writers within the site who have no qualms with substituting quality journalism for an abundance of "hits".

I understand Bleacher Report's need for those types of articles because the site is a business, and those types of articles do generate the most money, but a degree of caution should be considered.

The James and West fiasco is definitely one of those moments, and what makes this situation all the more perplexing is the amount of actual news that is currently circulating around the NBA.

The Boston Celtics have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in their series with the Orlando Magic; the NBA draft lottery was recently held; and the impending free agency class of 2010 may be history's most anticipated.

Yet with all that going on, there is still room to give legs to a vicious rumor in which the principal players have yet to issue an official statement, and hopefully never will.

In my earlier article I briefly touched on what the ramifications could be if the rumor that James' mother and West had an illicit affair was proved to be true.

But I failed to mention that even if it was, we would probably never know.

And why should we?

A matter like that is extremely personal, and due to the high profile nature of the participants, any revelation concerning the situation would immediately evolve into a media circus.

James has too many decisions to make that will impact the rest of his career without having to worry about a rumor which could damage his reputation and the integrity of the game.

It's been revealed that the rumor was started on a web-site notorious for unsubstantiated rumors, but it's more telling that no one has stepped forward to offer their own opinions on the matter.

James is known to run with a large entourage, and while there is strength in numbers, the potential for betrayal is multiplied when there is a large number of people aware of your personal affairs.

Many celebrity types have had scandals revealed by their closest associates, but so far, no one from James' camp has delivered the anonymous statements which usually start the trouble.

Neither has anyone from West's camp. Although there are more rumors surfacing that attorneys are now involved, those are still just rumors and gossip.

I have never been one to exploit a situation for my own benefit, and the James incident will not change this, unless it does become news, and there is actually something legitimate to report.

The principal figures in the case have chosen to remain silent for now, and just maybe for the sake of honest journalism, so should we.