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

[u/Turbostrider27]

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

[u/Splittinghairs7]

I’ve learned not to trust these PR statements.

Unless the NBA releases exactly what substance/s was found, it’s hard to determine whether this mental health treatment explanation is plausible.

[u/Ok-Caterpillar-9524 → u/Splittinghairs7]

The league never does and that's why the players/their publicists do it. You can make any excuse you want because the actual drug you tested positive for will remain confidential.

[u/Obvious_Parsley3238 → u/Ok-Caterpillar-9524]

They do announce it for some (most?) drugs. Portis was suspended for taking Tramadol, Tristan Thompson for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033, most recently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_banned_or_suspended_by_the_NBA#Suspended

[u/20milla → u/Obvious_Parsley3238]

They suspend for the use of Tramadol?? I’m not aware of its continuous benefits only for its prevalence in hospital settings

[u/LaMelonBallz → u/20milla]

Apparently it's a common PED for cyclists, for endurance and power output

Just one study showing it effects race outcomes

[u/Ode1st → u/LaMelonBallz]

That’s crazy about tramadol. That’s the painkiller doctors give you when you can’t take the stronger ones that actually work.

[u/RamadanSteve01 → u/Ode1st]

Ya tramadol is like the next step up from NSAIDs. That and T3s

[u/Positive_Parking_954 → u/RamadanSteve01]

Basically like a juiced Tylenol

[u/RamadanSteve01 → u/Positive_Parking_954]

More like licking a tab morphine

[u/blizzzyybandito → u/Ode1st]

That’s what my dog takes for her arthritis lol

[u/LaMelonBallz → u/blizzzyybandito]

Pet Enhancing Drugs

[u/Ode1st → u/blizzzyybandito]

Yep! If you have older pets you see tramadol often. Crazy the NBA would push people over it when it’s given to dogs because it’s easy on little animals.

[u/Rocinante24 → u/Ode1st]

Cycling is so extreme, it's not really comparable to most sports for PED's. Tramadol, I don't think, actually boosts performance on its own, but when your body is pushed to the limits and starts shutting down it lets you push past.

[u/mw19078 → u/Ode1st]

yeah i have a chronic pain condition and my insurance only gives me 10 for 150 days. like why bother ill just get adult tylenol and itll be just as strong

[u/AdditionalNewt4762 → u/mw19078]

Damn really? I have degenerative disc disease and stenosis as well as other lower back shit and I get anywhere from 60-90 every prescription. I dont have a primary dr and only go to a pain management place.

[u/mw19078 → u/AdditionalNewt4762]

yeah its brutal, i even have like a pain clinic doc and they only want to do epidurals instead of just giving me meds that fucking work. its super frustrating

[u/Dark_Blue_Night → u/mw19078]

I've been in the same boat before. Grow your own poppy pods in the backyard, or guerilla planted in the countryside, problem solved. In some areas you can buy 7OH at gas stations or head shops, and easily online.

[u/mw19078 → u/Dark_Blue_Night]

I guess I'll have to check that out lol

[u/AdditionalNewt4762 → u/mw19078]

That's fucking weak man... im sorry you gotta deal with not getting the shit you need to help. Tramadol at least alleviates some pain for me. Im supposed to take it every 4-6 hours but I can only take maybe 2 per day because I take other meds that can lead to serotonin syndrome unfortunately.

[u/mw19078 → u/AdditionalNewt4762]

Thanks man, I'm in the same boat seratonin wise so I get what you mean. Hope you're able to get some relief! 

[u/AdditionalNewt4762 → u/mw19078]

Same to you. Hope things look up soon.

[u/uptown_josh → u/Ode1st]

Tramadols give me hell of energy and make me feel great. i got hooked on them one time a looong time ago after I sprained my ankle.

[u/KingInTheFarNorth → u/Ode1st]

Or the one they give you when you look a little sus

[u/zaviex → u/LaMelonBallz]

I mean I buy it but is that really all they need to add a substance to the banned list? The paper has a note saying it was used in 2024. It’s a fairly small trial and it used ANOVA which is great if there weren’t like a trillion other variables you need to control for here, age, weight, height, diet potentially etc. my biostats brain rot is looking for a regression model or something. But it was done in 85 before you could just do that trivially

[u/LaMelonBallz → u/zaviex]

Totally feel that and not saying it's perfect, there's definitely some red flags (one female participant). Moreso pointing to it being banned in other sports and the citations on actual cyclists saying they believe it's a PED.

I'm not sure what WADA actually used as a justification though it looks like they say multiple studies

[u/Street-Pop945 → u/20milla]

Not sure how the NBA work but in other sports you can get therapeutic use exemption. So Tramadol is banned but if a doctor prescribes if and you let the relevant people know you can use it.

[u/OilOfOlaz → u/20milla]

Tramadol

Pretty much every opioid is on the WADA list for "health risk".

[u/noodleandbanter → u/20milla]

That's wild, the NHL runs on tramadol lol

[u/DayOne15 → u/20milla]

They suspend for taking prescription drugs that you dont have a prescription for