Bobby Portis received’t be qualified to return to the Bucks until eventually April 8. (Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Milwaukee Bucks ahead Bobby Portis was suspended 25 games without having pay for violating the NBA’s anti-drug system, the league announced Thursday. He examined constructive for Tramadol.
Portis’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, introduced a press release saying the violation was essentially a combination-up. Bartelstein said Portis imagined he was getting a pain medication termed Toradol, that's approved, but as a substitute took Tramadol, which is not. The assertion said Portis was offered the incorrect medication by an assistant of his, and it absolutely was “an genuine mistake.”
“Bobby Portis is completely not a drug abuser,” Bartelstein wrote. “Bobby will work tirelessly on expanding hisperformance in all purely natural, legal and balanced techniques, but he made a oversight and took a capsule that unknowingly he mustn't have. Today, During this instance, I'm so deeply upset the NBA chooses to interpret its plan so strictly, and the plan would not allow for another consequence for an straightforward slip-up with pure intentions.”
In a statement unveiled through the Bucks, Portis said, “I sense Awful and acknowledge which i’m chargeable for what I place in my system. From the bottom of my coronary heart, I want to apologize towards the Bucks Business, my teammates, coaches, loved ones and enthusiasts. I give anything I've within the court docket and may terribly skip playing video games with the Bucks for the duration of this time.”
Bucks common supervisor Jon Horst stated that even though “this is the very hard set of circumstances for Bobby and our team … we a hundred% aid Bobby.”
The 25-game suspension would make Portis ineligible to return right up until the Bucks’ April eight property recreation against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Including that match, the Bucks would've just 4 normal-period online games remaining. Milwaukee presently sits in fifth position inside the Eastern Meeting, 1 match back from the Indiana Pacers.
Portis has performed in 46 game titles to the Bucks this season, averaging 25.2 minutes, 13.7 factors and eight.three rebounds for every recreation.