Then Rashard had to go and piss it all away (pun intended). He’s already trotted out the old reliable (nudge,nudge,wink,wink) “tainted supplement” excuse, which has to be the lamest and least believable alibi in the book. Even when I was playing basketball in university in Canada I had a list provided to me of all the supplements that were banned in the league, so there is no excuse for Lewis to not know that he was taking something against the rules (which, to his credit, he has pretty much come out and said himself). I much prefer players with unique excuses, like that tennis player who was busted for cocaine who claimed it got into his system when he kissed a mysterious woman he met in the bar. Now that is a cool excuse. Guess Rashard’s wife would be pissed with that one though.
But the real news here is not Rashard Lewis getting busted, but why more NBA players don’t get caught. Despite all the negatives to PEDs (long-term health issues, illegal, against the rules) many athletes think the positives far outweigh them. PEDs can make you faster, stronger, bigger and aid in recovery and recuperation – all vital for sports. So why are we supposed to believe that NBA players aren’t interested in getting an edge on the competition, what with millions of dollars in contracts and millions more in endorsements up for grabs? If football players, and baseball players and bike riders and so on all do PEDs, why wouldn’t basketball players also?
What is more interesting to ponder is what would the NBA, its corporate partners, the media and the fans think if a PED problem got uncovered in the League? Lewis will be a good test case, an all-star player but not a superstar or big name guy. A 10-game suspension is a pretty small slap on the wrist – less than an eighth of the season – so perhaps the League isn’t too concerned with the problem.
I guess these are all questions that don’t have a consensus answer – it all depends on what each of us feel about the issue on a personal level. But just be prepared to do some soul searching soon – if virtually every other sport is touched by PEDs the NBA can’t remain scot-free for much longer.
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