Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has been suspended 25 games by the NBA for violating the league’s anti-drug program.
The league offered few details, but confirmed that George’s ban will begin Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In a statement to ESPN, George blamed the failed drug test on an improper medication he took to address a recent mental health issue.
“Over the past few years, I’ve discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication,” George said in the statement. “I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the Philly fans for my poor decision making during this process.”
The suspension means George will miss the bulk of the regular season, and the Sixers will be without one of their core players as they battle for a playoff spot. The team enters play Saturday at 26-21, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference and only narrowly above the play-in spots.
George was already highly unpopular with Philadelphia fans, who have complained about his perceived underperformance and lack of availability due to injury. This will only make things worse on that front. He is averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 27 games for the Sixers this season.