PED
Years ago
NBA Drug Testing
A topic that I have been pondering over for the past few weeks, is what policy does the NBA have in place in regards to drug testing, both performance enhancing and recreational use?
My thought started when I read a number of articles about drug testing in other sports. Particularly a fellow sport of choice for me in Mixed Martial Arts (predominantly the UFC). Now for those who are not really up to speed (no pun intended), the UFC has taken on some serious heat this year as a result of a slew of drug tests coming back positive. In fact, the current positive return rate is at 30% if tested fighters. Now before anyone gets on the "it's combat sports of course they do it" bandwagon, we have seen many scandals across a wide range of sports, ousting drug users.
Recently the fighter considered the GOAT, Anderson Silva, tested positive in an out of competition drug test for performance enhancing drugs on return from an injury, tarnishing his legacy. His opponent for the fight also tested positive in competition, but for weed. The current pound for pound best active fighter and tipped to one day take over as the GOAT, tested positive for cocaine in an out of competition drug test.
So long story short, with the plethora of drug testing available, and most major sports suffering from high profile positive tests, why do you think that we see minimal positive returns in Basketball? Or is there a whole bunch of positive results that maybe I'm not aware of?
I found this supporting piece on the frequency of testing:
"Testing falls into two categories: reasonable cause and random. Reasonable cause testing occurs when the league or players association provides the program's independent expert with information about a player’s use, possession or distribution of prohibited substances, and the expert believes that reasonable cause exists to order testing. If reasonable cause is found to exist, the player can be tested without notice up to four times in a six week period. Players can be subjected to random testing up to four times during a season and up to two times during an offseason (offseason testing is conducted for SPEDs and diuretics only). League-wide, the program will not conduct more than 1,525 tests during a season or more than 600 tests during an offseason."
Fire away...
