As Paul George nears his return from his 25-game suspension due to violations of the NBA's anti-drug program, there is still a level of ambiguity behind the actual reason for his suspension. The NBA simply said that the suspension was classified as a first-time offense under the collective bargaining agreement and did not disclose the specific substance he was found taking.
Now, Bill Simmons and Vosny Lambre have provided some clarity on The Bill Simmons Podcast, with both suggesting that they were well aware of what George had taken.
"Paul George is always unavailable, when he's not injured, he's being suspended, we don't know what for. I think I know what that guy was suspended for," Lambrew initially said, before Simmons claimed he had "a few guesses" about what it was.
Lambre claimed that they could only pretend that they did not know what the substance was.
"Well, we know what it was, I think," Simmons said, ultimately deciding not to disclose the substance in question.
George himself said after the suspension that he had taken "inappropriate medication" for a mental health issue, claiming that he wanted to take time to put his body and mind in the best possible condition for his return.
"Over the past few years, I have discussed the importance of mental health, and recently while treating an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking inappropriate medication. I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and Philly fans for my poor decision-making during this process," the 76ers man said.
George is eligible to return with approximately 10 regular season games left before the playoffs against the Chicago Bulls on March 25. Along with the suspension and a fine of approximately $11.7 million, George had missed 32 games by that point in the season.
They have still managed to keep their playoff hopes alive with a 38–30 record this campaign, which is currently good for 9th place in the Eastern Conference.
