PerformanceEnhancingDrugs & theNBA
Supposedly , incomparisontosportsthatdominateNorthAmericanculture , basketbalisshortof athleteswhoutilizeandexploitanabolicsteroidsand otherperformanceenhancingdrugsthatcommonly dominatethesportsscene . ThusfarinNBA history , onlyahandfulofplayerssuchasDonMaclean , Mat Geiger , SoumailaSamake , LindseyHunter , Darius Miles , RashardLewis , andO . J Mayohavetestedpositivefortheuseofsteroidsandstimulantsalthough manyclaim torefrainfrom druguse .
Despitetheshorthistoryofdrugexploitationin theNBA , manyoficials , lawmakers , and scholars suspectthatthereareathletesintheleaguewhotake advantageofthebenefitsofered byperformance enhancingdrugs . Thissuspicion , givendefensebythe inadequaciesandgapingholesintheleague ’ sdrug testingprogram , hasledtoinquirestimeandtime agagain .
Currently , theNBA , likemanyothersports leagues , unsystematicaly subjectsplayersto four random testseachseasonandtworandom testseach of-season . However , unlikeothersports , theNBA ’ s testingprogram anditsasociationwithbigunions thatstubbornly demand forplayerconfidentiality createdificultiesincatchingculpritsduetoapprehensivetestingmethods .
CriticsofthetestingmethodsutilizedbytheNBA advisethattheleaguetakeitsresponsibilitytowards anti-drugpoliciesmoreseriously .
13 HoopsMagazine2013