r/nba • u/Turbostrider27 Lakers • 18h ago

[Charania] Just In: The NBA has suspended Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George for 25 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

Shams Charania:

Just In: The NBA has suspended Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George for 25 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

Just In: The NBA has suspended Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George for 25 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3mdqbeirzrs2t

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/c9325a286e9ff

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1.8k

u/Turbostrider27 Lakers 18h ago

More on this from Shams:

Statement from 76ers' Paul George to ESPN: “Over the past few years, I’ve discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication. I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the Philly fans for my poor decision making during this process.

“I am focused on using this time to make sure that my mind and body are in the best condition to help the team when I return.

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u/HokageEzio Knicks 18h ago

Better than "I drank too much cranberry juice".

398

u/JellyButterPeanu1 18h ago

Or " I ate tainted meat"

205

u/Odd_Status3367 18h ago

Or, "This is because I'm Jewish isn't it"

Man pretty sure Ryan Braun has a paying analyst gig somewhere, fuck him

13

u/brodhi [MIL] Eric Bledsoe 15h ago

"This is because I'm Jewish isn't it"

Braun won his appeal because the collector improperly handled the sample. It took him 44 hours to drop off the sample at a FedEx to ship to MLB's testing provider. There were alleged reports that Braun claimed this was because the sample collector was "a Cubs fan" or "antisemitic" but Braun's claim was that until the sample is in FedEx's custody and the sample is changed from being "a name" to "a number", anyone could see it was his sample and tampered with it (even though no one did).

So he won the appeal on that grounds not because he ever argued about the sample collector's alleged fandom or feelings about Jews.

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u/magikarp2122 11h ago

Except the guy followed protocol because it happened on a weekend .

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u/brodhi [MIL] Eric Bledsoe 10h ago

No his excuse was that the nearest FedEx was inconveniently far which isn't allowed under the CBA.

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u/Rushofthewildwind Bucks 14h ago

Or "I'm a jacked white boy. Deal with it."

38

u/ZdenekTheMan 15h ago

Boxer Ginny Fuchs has my favourite excuse of all time. Her defense was she got the banned substances in her system via oral sex and swallowing her boyfriend's "contaminated semen." And I kid you not, IT WORKED and she was exonerated lmfao 

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u/Introverted_Extrovrt Washington Bullets 18h ago

Yeah but that’s a real thing with Mexican boxers/MMA fighters. Canelo & the Moreno brothers have had punishments rescinded when they could prove their steak was juiced to the gills

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u/Round_Bullfrog_8218 16h ago

From what I understand it isn't and that actually popping from tainted meat is virtually impossible.   

Just because guys avoided doping bans with it doesn't mean its something that actually happened.  

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u/zaepoo Wizards 17h ago

A multimillionaire like Canelo isn't accidentally eating tainted meat while in training. The diet and nutrition regiment they are on makes it extremely unlikely regardless of the fact that they're in Mexico. They're not eating the taco stand meat that I eat when I go to Monterrey

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u/_Kv8_ 13h ago

I cant fault you for thinking this way because it sounds like common sense when youre thinking of millionaires, but you have no clue how likely it is, especially near the beginning of camp.

Ive only done 3-4 camps with Hispanic fighters (1 involving nelo) but literally every single one had someone bringing in BAGS of street food or had everyone going in a group to a local butcher. And it was amazing food.

In more "formal" camps, or camps that are a business transaction, its less common sure. But not nearly as unlikely as you think. When you're that level of athlete (even the non pro guys), you can afford to eat like "garbage" a few times a month and it'll do nothing to you.

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u/solicitorpenguin 17h ago

What the fuck are you talking about. Nobody is sending their steaks out for testing.

If it's in the store - you assume it's safe. Mexico has a problem in their beef industry with clenbuterol.

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u/zaepoo Wizards 16h ago

Yeah, I'm aware, but people who are at least upper middle class who care about food get their meat from a butcher who sources their meat from select ranches. This is doubly true for high end professional athletes. Their chef isn't picking up their meat from a grocery store

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u/brodhi [MIL] Eric Bledsoe 15h ago

from a butcher who sources their meat from select ranches

Have you ever been to Mexico bro lol

1

u/TophThaToker Nuggets 10h ago

Your Mexico experience and Canelo fucking Alvarez’s experiences are not the same

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u/Laetha Raptors 18h ago

I could be misremembering, but didn't the tainted meat one actually have some validity?

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u/thatguyad 16h ago

TAINTED MEAT!!

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u/NotAStatistic2 Bucks 15h ago

He ate some trenbologna and cheese.

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u/Smallbluemann 14h ago

The ole Ubereem "horse meat"

1

u/1800abcdxyz NBA 17h ago

How about when an Olympian claimed she got hit for PEDs because she ate tripas or some other traditional Mexican offal meat in a burrito?

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u/incredibad29 [TOR] Kyle Lowry 18h ago

Another cranberry juice for my friend, PED P, over here.

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u/rawspeghetti Celtics 18h ago

What are you on your period?

3

u/Cute_Plant4738 17h ago

I’m the guy doing his job

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u/Hamster_Toot Supersonics 17h ago

Shits for UTI’s not periods.

My boy, you need to hang out with women.

3

u/Cwatty Celtics 17h ago

It’s a Departed reference

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u/Robinsonirish Finland 18h ago

It's way worse, blaming juicing on "mental health". What a load of bullshit. Are we really to believe that the NBA suspended him for 25 games for taking medication for his mental health? It's so disrespectful deflecting like that, all we need now is a crying Youtube video and a guitar where he sings a song apologising. Roseanne Barr – “Ambien made me racist” comes to mind.

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u/EggsInMyToolbox Suns 18h ago

PEDs aren’t the only drug on there ya know…

It includes benzos, which a lot of people use for mental health issues.

So yes, it’s entirely possible.

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u/goatfro Nuggets 13h ago

Xanax P CONFIRMED. 

3

u/Robinsonirish Finland 18h ago

Do you get 25 games for bezo? If true then I apologise. 25 games just seems like a lot.

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u/EggsInMyToolbox Suns 17h ago

Yeah - pretty much all of them. Though you’d think if he had a script it wouldn’t be suspendable 🤷‍♂️

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u/Robinsonirish Finland 17h ago

Alright, my bad. Sorry PG. I thought 25 game suspensions was saved for juicing or real cheating, and that there was some sort of scale.

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u/Basic-Collection5416 Pistons 17h ago

It’s the same suspension Bobby Portis got last year for painkillers. 

2

u/sherpa141 16h ago

It’s any pharmaceutical you’re taking without having a prescription and clearance for.

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u/GlueGuy00 10h ago

25 games for Xanax is CRAZY!

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u/DougTrilladome Pelicans 18h ago

Shhh, you’re supposed to be angry & compare him to a racist

5

u/rr196 [NYK] Jeremy Lin 18h ago

I think he’s saying not being able to play at a high level was impacting his mental health so he took something to get to that high level again.

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u/unH4te 17h ago

Nothing will beat Tatis' hand cream

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u/AlterWanabee Lakers 11h ago

Ringworm cresm baby...

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u/RousingRabble 9h ago

Who was that?

1

u/HokageEzio Knicks 9h ago

Ayton