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    • NBA Players who were Penalized for Violating the League’s Anti-Drug Policy

    by admin in Basketball Wiki | Comments Off on NBA Players who were Penalized for Violating the League’s Anti-Drug Policy

    NBA has a strict policy regarding the use of prohibited drugs. Any player, who goes against the league’s anti drug program, no matter for what reason, faces penalization according to the set terms of the program. Several players have been punished for their violation and there is no doubt that more will be treated in the same way in future as well if they make such kind of mistake.

    Lindsey Hunter

    Lindsey Hunter was the regular part of the Detroit Pistons since he was drafted in 1993. In March 2007, he was tested positive for the drug phentermine, a banned substance, primarily used for weight loss and as a result he was suspended for ten games. He claimed he was using his wife’s diet pills, which made him test positive for the NBA banned substance.

    Rashard Lewis

    Rashard Lewis, former Orlando Magic and current Washington Wizards forward was suspended for 10 games of the 2009-10 season after failing in drug test. He admitted the mistake but tried to prove himself innocent by saying that he was not aware that the nutritional supplement which he used at the end of the previous season, contains the NBA banned substance. He was also docked about $1.6 million of his $18 million salary for the season.

    Chris Washburn

    Chris Washburn was picked by the Golden State Warriors in 1986. His drug activities cost him big time; he was banned from the NBA for life in 1989 after failing three drug tests in three years. But he continued playing basketball in various minor professional leagues.

    Don MacLean

    Don Maclean spent nine years in NBA while battling through injuries. In 2000, he was tested positive for steroids and suspended for five games. It was stated that he took supplement containing banned substance for healing his injury quickly. After the suspension, he could not continue play for a long period of time and announced his retirement two years later.  

    John Drew

    John Drew, former Atlanta Hawks guard, was the first player ever to be banned for life under the NBA’s drug policy. His career came to an end due to the cocaine addiction. During the 1983 season, he missed a huge number of games as he underwent an intensive, eight-week detoxification treatment. While he would win the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award in 1984 for seemingly having overcome his addiction, Drew relapsed into drug abuse in 1985, and was banned from the NBA in 1986 for multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

    Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins

    Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins, two Houston Rockets players, were banned from the NBA for cocaine use. On 13, 1987, the pair was banned for more than 2 years after tested positive for cocaine. Both players entered and completed rehabilitation program. Wiggins was reinstated on July 28, 1989 while teammate Lloyd, made come back about one month later in September 1989.

    Duane Washington

    Duane Washington was taken in by the Washington Bullets in 1987. His NBA career was a brief one, consisted of only 19 games spanning two seasons with two separate teams: in 1987-88 with New Jersey Nets and in 1992-93 with Los Angeles Clippers. In October 1988, while he was a member of the Nets, Washington was suspended for two years for using cocaine and violating the league’s anti drug policy.                                        

    Stanley Brundy

    Stanley Brundy, a rookie forward with the New Jersey Nets, was suspended during the 1989-90 season after failing a drug test. Brundy, appeared in the 16 games of the season, caught up of cocaine use after a random drug test. He was the first rookie to be suspended since the NBA began random drug testing of first-year players in 1988. Brundy played in just one NBA season but continued playing overseas.

    Clifford R. Robinson

    Clifford R. Robinson spent 18 years in NBA but not without troubles. He was arrested for marijuana possession and driving under the influence in 2001 and received a one-game suspension. Robinson was also suspended five games in February 2005 while playing for Golden State, and was suspended for five games during the NBA playoffs on May 12, 2006 for violating terms of the league’s drug policy for the second time in two seasons.

     Lamar Odom

    Lamar Odom, former Los Angeles Clippers forward, received a five-game suspension in November 2001 for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. He was suspended in March as well for the same reason when he was tested positive for marijuana and failed to comply with the league’s aftercare program.

    John Lucas

    John Lucas played for fourteen years in the NBA despite his drug addiction that nearly destroyed his career. Twice in his career Lucas was banished from the NBA for using drug. First time in December 1984, second time in 1986 off-season, he was tested positive for cocaine. In order to stay in the league, Lucas underwent anti-drug and anti-alcohol treatment.




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