Philadelphia Sixers star winger Paul George has been suspended 25 games for violating drug regulations, the NBA announced Saturday.
The star player’s “without pay” suspension takes effect from the Sixers’ next game, Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, the authority said.
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The NBA did not specify the name of the substance in question.
Paul George, 35, admitted his “mistake” in comments relayed by ESPN.
“Over the past few years, I have spoken about the importance of mental health, and while recently seeking treatment for a personal problem, I made the mistake of taking the wrong medication,” he explained.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the fans of Philadelphia for the poor decisions I made,” he continued.
The Pennsylvania franchise having played 47 of the 82 games on the schedule, George will be able to return to competition just before the end of the regular season, in preparation for the playoffs in the spring.
“PG13”, gold medalist of the 2016 Games with the United States, established himself in the 2010s as one of the best in his position, but his star has faded recently due to repeated injuries.
He has missed nearly half of his team’s games since joining the Sixers in the summer of 2024 from the Los Angeles Clippers.
George (16.0 pts average) had a string of matches in January, with a 32-point performance against the Bucks on January 28, which coincided with the Sixers’ resurgence in form, currently sixth in the Eastern Conference.
His annual salary is around $52 million this season.
