Lauren Perdue: Five Things to Know About the Olympic Swimmer Who Turned Down Dinner Invite From LeBron James

Get to know the athlete who told James she couldn't join him for dinner at the Olympic village because of "curfew"

Olympic swimmer Lauren Perdue is causing a splash outside of the pool, too. The 21-year-old gold-medal-winning athlete apparently turned down a dinner invitation at the Olympic village from NBA star LeBron James.

Last month, Lauren tweeted (and then deleted): "Lebron James just invited me to dinner... Um wuuuutttt?!?" She also posted an Instagram photo of herself and the 27-year-old athlete (who is engaged with two children) with the caption, "Oh heyy Lebron"

Lauren clarified to Charlotte Observer reporter Scott Fowler that LeBron was just being friendly, not flirty. "He was kind of joking, but he was basically like, 'Would you like to come eat with me at the dining hall?'" she recalled. "And I said, 'Um, I'm sorry, I have a curfew. So I turned that one down, yeah."

Fair enough. Still, we're intrigued. Here are five need-to-know facts about the girl who turned down King James.

1. She's Southern: After Lauren's birth in Charlottesville, Va., her family relocated to Greenville, N.C. when she was young. After attending high school in the Tar Heel state, she returned to Charlottesville for college at the University of Virginia, where she's a member of the swim team. In her Twitter bio, she calls herself a "Southern girl at heart and will never forget my roots in eastern NC"

2. She comes from a swimming family: According to Lauren's official team bio, both of her parents were collegiate swimmers. Her father qualified for Olympic trials "but missed the team by half a second." Her two siblings are also swimmers.

3. She's just like Miley Cyrus: And Rumer Willis, for that matter. Like these Hollywood starlets, Lauren's dog Shiloh "was found in a Walmart parking lot." Lucky pup!

4. She trains hard: Well, obviously! She swims 7,000-10,000 meters/yards a day, 3.5 hours a day, 6 days a week.

5. She goes by "Lo": Friends of the athlete call her by her nickname. According to her bio, "One friend started calling her 'LO' and it stuck." Cute!

Well, Lo, despite being something of a stickler for team rules, you seem like a pretty cool girl.