Just found this article, which I think is very interesting, and proper to debate :

Source

No one seems particularly outraged about that Rashard Lewis suspension. Basketball PED suspensions have a funny way of disappearing from our collective memory like that, maybe just because no one thinks about Lewis (or the Magic) enough. But former teammate Ray Allen had a few things to say on the subject, some earnest, some ... well, you can try and judge the tone.

From The Boston Globe

    “I spent enough time around him to know that Rashard is a good dude and he wouldn’t do anything to harm himself or his body,’’ Allen said. “It’s a matter of being responsible and definitely know what we’re taking, whether we are trying to get an edge or trying to get rest."

Then comes the more perplexing remarks, either a good-natured jab at an old pal—proof that these mistakes mean nothing—or a bit of bitterness creeping in. Not the "Lewis was juicing" kind, more "if only that suspension had come down sooner."

    Allen brought up an interesting point: Did Lewis test positive before the Eastern Conference semifinals, in which the Magic beat the Celtics in seven games? Lewis was tested once before the NBA Finals and then again during the Finals. He tested positive for DHEA both times.“When did he take the drug test?’’ Allen asked. “Because if he took the drug test during our series, we’re supposed to be playing in the conference finals."

The confusion here stems from the fact that while only one sample is taken, the giant scary lab that decides men's fates tests it twice as some sort of scientific guarantee. So while the final verdict was only determined after Finals, the first test, as well as the sample that both stemmed from, came at some point prior to the Finals.

You could argue that, if Lewis was competing in the Finals, the NBA probably should've rushed the test and figured out his situation before the end of the season. Allen, taking it a step further, wants the initial test to hold more water.

The question is, why? Allen acknowledges that Lewis probably did nothing wrong, so it's not like he was unfairly beating Boston in the semis. Or maybe he's just defending Lewis's character, but not the fairness of his chemical activities. Which brings us back to the curious quip: Is Allen bemoaning the fact that Lewis should've been out, mistake or not, and thus showing his competitive stripes? Or is it simply a jokey aside?

One thing's for sure: The way this unfolded behind closed doors, it's pretty clear the league felt no great urgency about the matter. Depending on which side you take, it proves either that the league is repressing its PED problem or is totally casual about it because it's just not that much of an issue.

What do you think?

Personnally I don't see at a cheapshot against Lewis (Ray talks of him in a good way to begin the interview) but more as a criticism of the NBA rules, since they found out that Lewis was using steroids before the Finals but announced it in the summer and suspended him afterward.

I don't think that his steroids were that much of a difference maker against his opponents but still... he should have been suspended as soon as the cheating was discovered, don't you think so? That's Ray's point and I agree with him, although he could have avoided the "We would have been in the ECF if he had been suspended at the right time".