Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. has been suspended for 25 games after he violated the NBA’s anti-drug policy, the league announced Thursday.
The 2021 champion tested positive for Tramadol, an opioid which is typically used to relieve pain. It is generally only used when alternative pain medications cannot be used, or have not worked, according to the National Institutes of Health.
In a statement sent to CNN Sport, Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein said that the 30-year-old had mistakenly believed he was taking another pain medication called Toradol, which is not banned.
“I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant,” he said.
“The Tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol. This was, again, an honest mistake that was made because of the similarity in the names of the drugs and the fact they both serve a very similar purpose,” he added.
“Bobby was using this anti-inflammatory pain-reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for that night’s game.”
CNN has reached out to the Bucks and the National Basketball Players Association for comment.
Portis’ suspension – which is without pay – will begin with Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Fiserv Forum. He will next be available for selection for the Bucks’ home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 8, Milwaukee’s fourth-last game of the regular season.
The Bucks currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-24. Should they reach the postseason, Portis’ participation will not be affected.
The forward – who has finished in the top three in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award in each of the last two seasons – has played in 46 of Milwaukee’s 54 games so far this season, averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
