The NBA has suspended the Milwaukee Bucks and violated its anti-drug policy without violating 25 Bobby Portis games, the league announced Thursday.
Portis tested positive for tramadol, which is not only banned by the NBA, but also listed on the global doping agency list of banned substances.
Portis agent Mark Bartelstein has falsely thought that his client “unintentionally” took tramadol and mistakenly thought it was Tramadol, and he supported the league’s anti-drug policy, with Portis saying “absolutely drug abuse” “I’m not a person.”
“The tramadol pills he took came from his assistant with an effective prescription for painkillers. He mistakenly said Bobby was Trador,” Bartelstein said in a statement. “This was also an honest mistake made due to the similarity of drug names and the fact that they serve very similar purposes. He will be in the fall this fall and prepare for that night’s match. I believed I was taking Torador to reduce the pain.”
Tramadol and Tradol are both painkillers, but Toradal is the only one approved by the league and its players’ union.
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“I handled an elbow injury and was suffering from pain and inflammation using NBA-approved medication,” Portis said in a statement. “In the meantime, I made honest mistakes and took away anti-inflammatory drugs that would reduce unapproved pain. I feel frightening and realize I am responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to apologise to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family and fans. Our long playoff runs.
Tramadol has been labelled as a Class IV controlled substance by the Food and Drug Administration for over 10 years due to potential addiction and is usually used as an opioid painkiller. Other class IV drugs include Ambien and Valium.
Portis’ 25-game ban will spend him a $2.85 million salary, allowing the Bucks to sign exchanges from the sixth game of suspension.
Portis has been in its fifth season with the Bucks, helping the team win the NBA title in 2021.
He averaged 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season for Milwaukee. The Bucks have 29 regular season games left, with a record of 29-24, making them suitable for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.