Doping/enhancement drugs in the NBA?

[TheMidnightSun]

i dont know if this has been mentioned yet (probably has) but steroids are not just used for bulking up, steroids can be used to heal injuries faster, so rather than looking at the most built dudes, look for a guy in the playoffs with an injury that starts to dominate, im not sure if ped can be used the same way, i do believe nba players use some sort of peds

[aal04]

In my opinion, Lance is still a great champion. Michael Jordan, Barkley, thoses guys probobly used something, so what? Rafale Araujo used steroids and he never made a great carrer in nba.

The effectiveness of whatever "PEDs" guys from the 80s had access to would be a joke compared to what's available now.

Like comparing a mobile phone form the 80s to what you can get these days.

But watching Tim Duncan's resurgent season makes me want to legalize PEDs for any stars above the age of 35.

I doubt td is on the PEDs. Hes shrunk, hes changed his game.

I think he just adapted. If he rocked up at 280lb this season then yes, but he looks a lot frailer than previous years, its just his ability to adapt. TD is a wizard

[DFolks]

Stupid threads on this topic pop up all the time and it's the same ignorant comments every time. Sure, there are probably a few guys in the NBA, but in no way is it an epidemic.

and LOL at posting pics of ripped rare genetic freaks and thinking it helps prove their delusional points.

[StocktonShorts]

You name a sport and there's a banned substance that will increase your ability to perform in that sport.

Anyone arguing that PEDs won't help a basketball player is extremely ignorant.

It all comes down to risk analysis by the players. If it's cheap, easy and there's very little risk of getting caught or doing long-term damage, then why wouldn't they be using? Are NBA players so different from every other sport in the world where doping is fairly common?

My guess is that in-season they're using stimulants and testosterone patches (for recovery).

[Hendrix]

Anyone arguing that PEDs won't help a basketball player is extremely ignorant.

My guess is that in-season they're using stimulants and testosterone patches (for recovery).

Uhhh...

[Apathy]

He isn't saying that the NBA requires "more or less" skill than other sports, but you have to admit, enhancement drugs tend to have more of a direct effect on performance in other sports, such as baseball. I'm not baseball experts, but I know that steroids will generally help a guy get stronger/bigger which will result in harder hits, and more home runs.

No, I don't "have to admit." Based on what? Studies haven't even shown that steroids result in harder hit balls. All evidence is anecdotal. They tried to pin that on Bonds over and over and again after again it was all anecdotal, dude.

Using enhancement drugs in the NBA has less of a direct affect. Using a drug to aid in muscle growth wont necessarily help you make more shots if aren't skilled enough to shoot well or finish through contact.

In that regard, performance in the NBA is less reliant on them. I think the biggest thing it does is to help their endurance/recovery, which I don't mind. Players already use ice and acupuncture to recover after games anyway. I think allowing them players to play as well as possible during longer stretches is a good thing.

You're conveniently ignoring that the plague in MLB wasn't even steroids: it was (and probably still is) amphetamines. Amphetamines have been used in the sport since time immemorial. In the original SI expose with Ken Caminiti, he admitted way more players are on greenies than steroids. I forgot what he said but I believe it was something like 85-90 percent.

That's what the less enlightened folk in this thread aren't getting: it's more about the endurance and recovery aspects than the sheer size/muscle. It's always going to be more about that, because it's the rigorous schedule / lack of sleep that affects performance the most. Without bans, those abuses are going to be ABSURDLY prevalent. And after a certain point -- Malcolm Gladwell would call it the tipping point -- EVERYONE would be virtually forced to use something in order to remain competitive.

[andyhop]

If a high percentage of NBA players aren't taking some form of PED then they are either the most ethical or the stupidest group of sportsmen in the world.The risk/reward ratio in the NBA is massively in favour of taking something due to the lack of testing.

[Jellybeans824]

I firmly believe that is the reason why The White Mamba retired early

[StocktonShorts]

If a high percentage of NBA players aren't taking some form of PED then they are either the most ethical or the stupidest group of sportsmen in the world.The risk/reward ratio in the NBA is massively in favour of taking something due to the lack of testing.

Exactly!

(and I'm not just agreeing with you because you're a Liverpool supporter)

[yaaar]

There has to be tons of use going on. I'm pretty sure almost every athlete in the NBA is using something banned on some level, even if it's just something to give them a harder workout for a few hours in the off season or something to recover after a game. It just makes too much sense to do it.

People don't understand how easy it is to use this stuff without getting caught. Even hard core olympic testing is regarded as "more of an IQ test than a drug test" since it's so easy to beat. There are things that only last in your blood for a few hours. How can they catch someone like that when they have to announce tests and athletes are legally allowed to not take a given test for any reason as long as they don't exceed a certain number of denials? It's the dirty secret of every major sport. They have to create the illusion of the players being clean for the sake of the fantasy of the true athlete, but as long as they sell tickets the leagues don't honestly care. The guys that produce this stuff are so far ahead of the testing it's a joke. Which isn't hard to do when no one is actually interested in chasing them. I'm guessing everyone at the top levels are on something. From what I understand high school sports are running rampant with all kinds of stuff right now. You don't think a guy trying to earn an extra 10 million dollars isn't going to inject a little something to get his ankle to heal a bit faster or have a faster turnaround between work outs?

[StocktonShorts]

You're somewhat right. The leagues definitely care in the abstract, but remember that the type and amount of testing is bargained for during CBA negotiations. If the league wants to do more testing, the players will ask for concessions in other areas.

[lawrybeard]

Stern knows where the bodies are buried.

[EscapoTHB]

If players are doping to stay healthy I'm all for it.

Kobe being able to play to 40 is pretty cool.

Its not like baseball where the stats matter.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[Thats_my_chippy]

Stern want his NBA to be more WWE than NFL.

So what do you think?

[Alepphe]

There has to be tons of use going on. I'm pretty sure almost every athlete in the NBA is using something banned on some level, even if it's just something to give them a harder workout for a few hours in the off season or something to recover after a game. It just makes too much sense to do it.

People don't understand how easy it is to use this stuff without getting caught. Even hard core olympic testing is regarded as "more of an IQ test than a drug test" since it's so easy to beat. There are things that only last in your blood for a few hours. How can they catch someone like that when they have to announce tests and athletes are legally allowed to not take a given test for any reason as long as they don't exceed a certain number of denials? It's the dirty secret of every major sport. They have to create the illusion of the players being clean for the sake of the fantasy of the true athlete, but as long as they sell tickets the leagues don't honestly care. The guys that produce this stuff are so far ahead of the testing it's a joke. Which isn't hard to do when no one is actually interested in chasing them. I'm guessing everyone at the top levels are on something. From what I understand high school sports are running rampant with all kinds of stuff right now. You don't think a guy trying to earn an extra 10 million dollars isn't going to inject a little something to get his ankle to heal a bit faster or have a faster turnaround between work outs?

Agreed, if Armstrong managed to get away during his full career from testing in cycling where you have the most tough testing in every sport, definitely they must be having a laugh about NBA testing in comparison. And, if you get caught, you get banned 10 games, lol. What does that mean? Unless you are completely naive, that means the league doesn't care. That said, most of them are probably on the same PEDs program, so to be honest i don't really care as the level playing field must be more or less even, but to see users that post pictures of skinny guys to prove they don't dope, or that believe that in basketball PED don't help is unreal, they might as well believe in Santa. Do you even think all athletes (and let's be honest, not all of them looks so smart) know what exactly they are assuming when they take pills or liquids? Don't you think there is a mutual agreement that they will do what the doctors tell them? I wouldnt be that surprised to know that many players don't even know they are taking PED.