NBA players linked in Biogenesis Scandal

[Celtics4ever]

I like to think that PEDs don't enhance a basketball player's ability as much as they do in other sports, but I know that's impossible and not how they work so I guess it's safe to assume they are used in the NBA.

Strength and speed helps in any sport.   Being stronger and faster helps in anything with a court and contact.

It's painfully obvious some of these guys roided out because most people can't get that big naturally.   But an inverse proportion of pros are huge and buff. 

I just hope if LeBron cheated = lifetime ban and stripped titles.   I'd feel the same way if KG did it as well or PP.  It will be good to see Stern go out on a bad note, no one deserves it more.   C'mon lucky, give some bad karma to Celtic Hating Stern!

[nickagneta]

Track and field and bicycling are two sports that have been plagued with PEds for quite some time. Stamina, strength, oxygen carrying, recuperation time are as important in these sports as they are in basketball. Thinking PEDs couldn't help NBA players to perform better is kind of naive if you ask me.

That said, why wouldn't an NBA player use PEDs. Their league has one of the least stringent anti-doping policies in North American professional sports and they play a strenuous and physically demanding game. With the average NBA salary over $5 million a year, if I'm a below average NBA athlete with great skills, an average NBA player with excellent skills, or a great athlete with excellent to elite skills, why not spend a few thousand dollars to increase my salary from vet min salary to average salary, average salary to above average salary or above average salary to max contract status?

I know I would if the chances of getting caught aren't that great. And given just how few NBA players have been caught, the assumption here is the testing is very lax, which is pretty much in line with what the World Anti Doping Agency says.

[gpap]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Fab Melo is safe.

Lol, I'd say so.

If anything, maybe he needs a banned substance.

[Mazingerz]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Fab Melo is safe.

My coffee spewed out of my nose . . .

[gpap]

I like to think that PEDs don't enhance a basketball player's ability as much as they do in other sports, but I know that's impossible and not how they work so I guess it's safe to assume they are used in the NBA.

Strength and speed helps in any sport.   Being stronger and faster helps in anything with a court and contact.

It's painfully obvious some of these guys roided out because most people can't get that big naturally.   But an inverse proportion of pros are huge and buff. 

I just hope if LeBron cheated = lifetime ban and stripped titles.   I'd feel the same way if KG did it as well or PP.  It will be good to see Stern go out on a bad note, no one deserves it more.   C'mon lucky, give some bad karma to Celtic Hating Stern!

Pretty much how I feel.

[Mazingerz]

^ You mean to say Stern also takes HGH?

[nickagneta]

Here's a link connecting Lebron..I don't know if I believe it, but I knew his name would be thrown in the mix

http://dystnow.com/2013/03/04/lebron-james-jameer-nelson-linked-to-miami-steroid-clinic/

The source is a guy named Incarcerated Bob...so yeah I don't believe it.

Actually Incarcerated Bob has broken some pretty big sports stories and has had a lot of his rumors come true. Yeah, a bunch haven't but he's not a completely uninformed source.

There was a guy who called into WEEI a lot back in the late 80's and 90's that claimed to be "connected" in a Mafia way. He broke a lot of dirt before it came out mainstream because of his "connections". Sometimes the nefarious people have access to stuff a lot sooner than the media can get it.

[Mazingerz]

Yup some breaking news stories were linked to Incarcerated Bob IIRC.

[TerreHaute]

I see NBA players as some of the most likely to be users of this stuff, and it really has nothing to do with testing. Think about playing NBA games every other day, in cities all over the US, needing to practice on game and off days, needing to lift to maintain strength, etc.

I really think these drugs are used mostly for recovery from (and therefore gaining the ability to more quickly repeat) strenuous exercise. Thinking about the effort necessary to play and maintain a skill set (and strength) in this type of game almost is beyond comprehension to the regular person. Certainly these guys have been given a gift that the rest of us didn't get, but they are still human.

Also, only the really dumb ones are getting caught. The production of this stuff is so far ahead of the testers it isn't even funny. In addition, these guys should have enough money to get the necessary materials from people who will not rat them out.

In closing, my opinion is simply that this stuff is rampant in all professional sports. If these guys are close enough to one big payday and this can put them over the top, what is the real risk? They can be set for life. How many of us would do the same if presented with that opportunity at their stage in life?

[edwardjkasche]

LeBron had actually already been linked.

http://ibnsportswrap.com/article.php?articleID=28

This isn't the only site that reports it.  And, before any of you say it's shoddy gossip journalism, please note that it is on these sites that these stories always break first before ESPN sends a correspondent to begin digging.

LeBron's childhood friend and agent has been linked to Biogenesis visits and paperwork.

If you don't think that directly connects LeBron to Biogenesis, then you probably also don't believe that Tiger Woods' (and A-Rod's) personal physician getting caught with HGH and PEDs at the US/Canadian border directly links Tiger to anything. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-2012148/Tiger-Woods-doctor-admits-smuggling-illegal-drugs-United-States.html

If the truth were to come out about all players in professional sports, the public would be shocked.  Personal trainers and legal vitamins aren't everything.  There are top players in every single sport that cheat.  And, don't make me laugh by saying, "They're tested and have never been caught so therefore they're clean..."  Lance Armstrong proved that you can cheat the tests, for years and years.

Unfortunately, the NBA is a joke (e.g. referees, flopping), so nothing will ever come of this, even if players are named in the press.

And, for all of you asking why we care about these things and why we want the cheaters to be caught and publicly vilified... it's because we care about the games and we care about seeing clean players play the games the right way.

[PhoSita]

I like to think that PEDs don't enhance a basketball player's ability as much as they do in other sports, but I know that's impossible and not how they work so I guess it's safe to assume they are used in the NBA.

Strength and speed helps in any sport.   Being stronger and faster helps in anything with a court and contact.

It's painfully obvious some of these guys roided out because most people can't get that big naturally.   But an inverse proportion of pros are huge and buff. 

I just hope if LeBron cheated = lifetime ban and stripped titles.   I'd feel the same way if KG did it as well or PP.  It will be good to see Stern go out on a bad note, no one deserves it more.   C'mon lucky, give some bad karma to Celtic Hating Stern!

Pretty much how I feel.

We might as well strip the titles from all the teams of the last 10-15 years, because if LeBron is roided out I can guarantee you every team that's been really good in the recent era had at least a couple guys doing something.

[guava_wrench]

I think Nick is implying that there were other things in addition to the procedure.

Kind of like "antler spray."

Do you mean that Lewis publicly said "antler spray" but really use a PED?

Antler spray, by the way, is a hoax. The active ingredient isn't bio-available in that form.

[guava_wrench]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Fab Melo is safe.

No one is safe if Rashard Lewis got suspended for PEDs.

[Mazingerz]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Fab Melo is safe.

No one is safe if Rashard Lewis got suspended for PEDs.

Jordan Crawford looks like he is stoking enhancing drugs as well; Not Performance enhancing but mind enhancing IMHO

 

[indeedproceed]

When Kobe Bryant is allegedly to be returning from injury by training camp (which I understand won't happen), it's gotta raise some flags.

Id say most likely goes Kobe, then Wade, after that look at veterans who shouldn't be playing as well as they should. Who knows how widespread it is, but as others have stated in the NBA the most tangible incentives are recovery, from injury and from every day workouts. Chauncey Billups.