The NBA announced on Thursday that they have issued a 25-game suspension to Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. for a violation of the league’s anti-drug policy.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Portis tested positive for the opioid pain medication tramadol, a painkiller often used for patients following surgery, which is a controlled substance. He began his suspension Thursday.
Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein later issued a statement on social media that his client unintentionally took tramadol (was added to the banned substance list last spring) and that an assistant of Portis’ told him the substance was Toradol — a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug. Bartelstein wrote: “I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant. Bobby is a great person, teammate and professional, and has a wonderful reputation in our league, his communities and his team. There are no bigger fans of the NBA than Bobby and I, and we are grateful to have closely and collaboratively worked with the NBA on countless occasions. We support the league’s anti-drug policy and its purpose in having a fair, competitive, healthy landscape for our athletes as it relates to drugs of abuse, performance enhancing issues, etc. Bobby Portis is absolutely not a drug abuser.”
Portis, 30, apologized to the Bucks organization and their fans, sharing in his own statement that he used the drug while recovering from an elbow injury and had been using “an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation. During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run.”
Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement that the team respects the NBA’s suspension, adding that the team supports Portis: “Together we will take this opportunity to grow and will have a better and stronger Bobby and Milwaukee Bucks team. He’s an integral part of who we are, a huge member of the Milwaukee community, and we look forward to his return.”
Portis is a 10-year veteran, and has a player option of $13.4 million in 2025-26. He averaged 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game through 46 appearances this season.
Editorial credit: Shaheerrr / Shutterstock.com