Drug addiction is one of the reasons that can put your life into a mess. That is why most politicians in a country ban the use of certain drugs like cocaine, steroids, and many more self-destructing drugs. But did you know that there are drugs that aren’t harmful to humans? Surprisingly, these types of substances help to enhance the balanced capability of a human.
Nowadays, some drugs were used to enhance the performance of a person, they call it “performance-enhancing drugs”. These substances are used by athletes who try to boost their performance, and most sports organizations ban the use of it, and they consider this as cheating.
Sports organizations propagate drug testing to check if the athletes are using some performance-enhancing drugs. They perform drug testing every month, and sometimes once a year. Almost all sports organizations are so strict when it comes to drug testing. If they caught an athlete using these types of drugs, the athlete may receive some charges and sanctions.
The NBA is one of the sports organizations that are strict when it comes to using drugs. Today we are going to talk about drug testing in the NBA. We are going to take a deeper dive into drug testing in the NBA. Let’s get started!
Why Do NBA Players Get Drug Tested?
The purpose of drug testing programs in the NBA is to stop players from using performance-enhancing drugs. The NBA considers using performance-enhancing drugs as cheating, and they charge players that are using these types of drugs. Banning a player from the league could be the worst-case scenario if they caught a player from using drugs.
How Does NBA Drug Testing Works?
The NBA drug testing program has resulted in 25-game suspensions for players like Jodie Meeks, Deandre Ayton, and John Collins since 2018. The reason why Tyreke Evans is not playing in the NBA is that he was caught using drugs. That is why the NBA banned Evans from playing for two years. Many players have been banned because of using drugs, and they receive large fines from the NBA.
According to the NBA, players can be randomly drug tested up to four-six times during the season and twice during the offseason. Players that refuse to get drug tested are treated the same as a positive result, and they may receive some sanctions.
There are also what they called “reasonable cause testing”, players will be tested a maximum of four times in a span of six weeks. Reasonable cause testing is triggered by the NBA if they receive certain information that the player has been using or owns drugs.
The NBA also conducts a drug test for a player that shows unusual performance on the court. One example is Danny Green. He got drug tested after a monster dunk against the Atlanta Hawks. Another example is Bradley Beal. Beal was drug tested because of scoring 53 points against the Chicago Bulls and 55 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA considers those games as unusual because no one has held the Washington Wizards star under 26 points in the past six weeks before these two games happened.
NBA Drugs Policy
The NBA is very strict when it comes to using drugs, and they give heavy sanctions for players that will be caught using it. Players can be permanently banned from playing in the NBA if they were caught with substance abuse. If the incident is not serious enough, the suspension is the sanction that the NBA can give. Players that are banned for substance abuse are permitted to be reinstated after they have recovered from drug addiction under the anti-drug agreement between the league and the NBPA.
What Drugs Are Not Allowed In The NBA?
The list of banned drugs in the NBA is so long, and the NBA is continuing to ban drugs that will be considered illegal in the future. Most banned drugs were performance enhancers, and these are the list:
Performance Enhancers Drugs
- Adrafinil
- Aminoglutethimide
- Amiphenazole
- Anastrozole
- Andros-1,4,6-triene-3,17-dione (also called androstatrienedione or ATD)
- Androstanediol
- Androstanedione
- Androstene-3,6,17-trione (also called 6-OXO or 4-AT)
- Androstenediol
- Androstenedione
- Bolasterone
- Boldenone
- Boldione
- Bromantan
- Calusterone
- Clenbuterol
- Clobenzorex
- Clomiphene
- Clostebol
- Cyclofenil
- Danazol
- Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone
- Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
- Desoxymethyltestosterone (DMT)
- Dihydrotestosterone
- 4-dihydrotestosterone
- Dromostanolone
- Drostanolone
- 18a-homo-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one
- Ephedra (also called Ma Huang, Bishop’s Tea and Chi Powder)
- Ephedrine
- Epitestosterone
- Erythropoietin (EPO)
- 13a-ethyl-17a-hydroxygon-4-en-3-one
- Etilefrine
- Ethylestrenol
- Exemestane
- Fencamfamin
- Fenethylline
- Fenfluramine
- Fenproporex
- Fluoxymesterone
- Formebolone
- Formestane (also called 4-hydroxyandrostenedione)
- Fulvestrant
- Furazabol
- Gestrinone
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
- Human Growth Hormone
- 4-hydroxytestosterone
- Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)
- Letrozole
- Mefenorex
- Mestanolone
- Mesterolone
- Methandienone
- Methandriol
- Methasterone
- Methenolone
- Methyldienolone
- 17a-methyl-3b, 17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane
- 17a-methyl-3a, 17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane
- 17a-methyl-3b, 17b-dihydroxyandrost-4-ene
- 17a-methyl-1-dihydrotestosterone
- 17a-methyl-4-hydroxynandrolone
- Methylephedrine
- Methylphenidate
- Methyltestosterone
- Methyltrienolone
- Mibolerone
- Modafinil
- Nandrolone (also called 19-nortestosterone)
- Nikethamide
- 19-norandrostenediol
- 19-norandrostenedione
- Norbolethone
- Norclostebol
- Norethandrolone
- Norfenfluramine
- Normethandrolone
- Norpseudoephedrine (also called cathine)
- Oxabolone (also called 4-hydroxy-19-nortestosterone)
- Oxandrolone
- Oxymesterone
- Oxymetholone
- Pemoline
- Pentetrazol
- Phendimetrazine
- Phenmetrazine
- Phentermine
- Phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
- Probenecid
- Prostanozol
- Pseudoephedrine
- Raloxifene
- Quinbolone
- Stanozolol
- Stenbolone
- Strychnine
- Tamoxifen
- Testolactone
- Testosterone
- Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)
- Tibolone
- Toremifene
- Trenbolone
- Zeranol
- Zilpaterol
Diuretics/Masking Agents
- Acetazolamide
- Amiloride
- Bendroflumethiazide
- Benzthiazide
- Bumetanide
- Canrenone
- Chlorothiazide
- Chlorthalidone
- Clopamide
- Cyclothiazide
- Dichlorphenamide
- Ethacrynic Acid
- Flumethiazide
- Furosemide
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Hydroflumethiazide
- Indapamide
- Methyclothiazide
- Metolazone
- Polythiazide
- Quinethazone
- Spironolactone
- Triamterene
- Trichlormethiazide
Aside from these drugs, the NBA also banned the use of marijuana and cocaine. The NBA wanted to make the league a drug-free league that is why they are very strict when it comes to drugs.
Final Words
Drugs can destroy your life if you get addicted to it, so while you are still not addicted to it, I suggest you better stop now. If you wanted to be a good basketball player for the long run inside the court, then you have to practice and put in hard work. Performance-enhancing drugs could work, but it can only work for a short time and these drugs can ruin not just your life and your career, but also your body.
So let’s work our butt off, and let’s start practicing to become a better basketball player! Have a nice day to you all, and please stay yourself away from drugs! Stay safe!
