The NBA suspended Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson for 25 games without pay on Tuesday for breaking the league’s drug policy.
The league says that Thompson, who is 32 years old, tested positive for ibutamoren, a growth hormone, and SARM LGD-4033, a drug that bodybuilders and weightlifters often use to build muscle.
His ban will start on Wednesday when the Cavaliers play the first two games in three days at the Milwaukee Bucks. He will be able to play again on March 16 against the Houston Rockets.
The Cavaliers said that they fully back the NBA’s anti-drug program. They also said they stand by Thompson and will be there for him during his suspension.
The Cavaliers said, “We are disappointed in the recent news about Tristan Thompson.” “His time away from game action will have an impact on our team.”
Thompson can go on trips and practice while he is suspended. The only rule is that he has to leave the arena at least two hours before any game starts.
Thompson is in his second season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team picked him as the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft. A lot of people in Cleveland love Thompson, who is 6 feet 11 inches tall. He played on the NBA championship team in 2016, which won the city’s first big professional sports title since 1964.
After nine years as a pro, Thompson moved around and played for different teams. He has played for the Boston Celtics, the Sacramento Kings, the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers again as a free agent before this season. They have won eight straight games. He scores 3.8 points and grabs 3.9 rebounds every 12 minutes.
