Bobby Portis won’t be qualified to return to the Bucks till April 8. (Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Visuals)
Milwaukee Bucks ahead Bobby Portis was suspended twenty five online games without buy violating the NBA’s anti-drug plan, the league announced Thursday. He analyzed positive for Tramadol.
Portis’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, released a press release claiming the violation was basically a mixture-up. Bartelstein reported Portis considered he was using a ache medication known as Toradol, that is authorized, but rather took Tramadol, which isn't. The assertion explained Portis was provided the incorrect medication by an assistant of his, and it absolutely was “an straightforward miscalculation.”
“Bobby Portis is completely not a drug abuser,” Bartelstein wrote. “Bobby performs tirelessly on growing hisperformance in all pure, legal and healthier ways, but he designed a mistake and took a pill that unknowingly he shouldn't have. Now, On this instance, I am so deeply unhappy the NBA chooses to interpret its coverage so strictly, and the policy isn't going to allow for for a different outcome for an truthful miscalculation with pure intentions.”
In an announcement introduced because of the Bucks, Portis claimed, “I experience Terrible and identify that I’m liable for what I put in my body. From The underside of my heart, I choose to apologize into the Bucks Group, my teammates, coaches, household and supporters. I give every little thing I've about the court docket and will terribly pass up actively playing games for that Bucks in the course of this time.”
Bucks typical manager Jon Horst claimed that whilst “that is a quite challenging set of conditions for Bobby and our workforce … we 100% assist Bobby.”
The twenty five-activity suspension would make Portis ineligible to return until finally the Bucks’ April 8 household game towards the Minnesota Timberwolves. Like that activity, the Bucks would've just 4 frequent-time game titles remaining. Milwaukee now sits in fifth place within the Eastern Meeting, a person game again with the Indiana Pacers.
Portis has performed in 46 game titles for that Bucks this period, averaging twenty five.2 minutes, thirteen.7 details and 8.three rebounds per sport.