Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith said Thursday that he was not shocked when a league official notified him this week that Rashard Lewis was being suspended for the first 10 games of next season for violating the NBA's Anti-Drug program.Lewis tested positive for the testosterone-producing steroid commonly referred to as DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), which was part of a supplement he started taking late in the season. The chemical is banned by most sports leagues, including the NBA, but it is contained in several over-the-counter supplements.
The positive test stemmed from a urine sample provided by Lewis during the playoffs before they reached the NBA Finals.
"I live in the real world. Very few things shock me. I was a little taken aback, but I'm not going to go nuts over it,'' Smith told FanHouse after the league announced the suspension. "I've been around the league for 25-plus years, and I still don't know everything there is to know about all the banned substances.''
Smith talked to Lewis both late Wednesday and early Thursday before the league made the announcement.
"I do not think he was taking it as a performance enhancer, trying to get bigger, stronger, faster, or anything like that,'' Smith said. "We spend a lot of time trying to educate our guys on this stuff, but we have to do more. I still think the team, the players' union, the league, has to do more to let these guys know what they can and can't take.''
The loss of Lewis for the first 10 games will be costly to the Magic, who are coming off their finest season in franchise history. They were hoping to secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this year, something they didn't get last season.
Lewis was a key player in their run through the playoffs, being named to the All-Star team for just the second time in his career. Without him, the Magic won't be as good for 10 games. Lewis was expected to start at either power forward or small forward. Without him, it's likely that newly-acquired Brandon Bass will be the starter at small forward and Mickael Pietrus or Matt Barnes at small forward."Ten games is a lot, but we can adjust. Let's not get too carried away. This isn't a football season we're talking about,'' Smith said. "We'll still have 72 left when he comes back. We'll get a better look now at guys early that we probably wouldn't have seen in this situation.''
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Let me know when you ban Growth Hormones. Every player would be 5'6". The NBA would not like that. All sports can bust just about every player for steroids or growth hormone use. Is this suppose to be alarming news? You don't grow 6'10" on McDonalds 99 cent specials. Fans are so dumb. How do you think Yao Ming got to be 7'6". By eating Chinese food that leaves you hours after eating it. I think not.
That is seriously one of the dumbest things I have ever read on a blog before. You honestly don't think that some people can make it to be 7 feet tall without a drug? I have an uncle who was 6'8 before he got older and shrunk to a modest 6'2. My cousin is currently 6'6. That's two people that are in my family alone that could pass as decent sized NBA players.
And what? Parents are feeding their kids pills from an early age to make them this size? You are kidding, right? You cannot honestly be serious about this.
You really cannot be this stupid.lol tell me your joking.lol i guess Abe Lincoln was roids also.lol
you are about as dumb as dumb gets I assume you are verticaly chalenged stick to your key board thats about your speed
Are you serious? I'm the youngest of four and grew up on McDonalds, Burger King and a host of junk foods and i'm 6'7. My brothers as well, which stand 6'2 and 6'4, identical twin sisters 5'11. We never had growth hormones, just were born to a 5'9 mother and 6'4 father.
I agree that Bass and Barnes are small fowards, both are smaller than LeBron James. Pietrus is a guard. But the Magic also need to start a big forward, Gortat, or a center if Howard moves back to forward, Foyle. As for size. the Romans had an Emperor, a shepherd turned warrior, who was nearly 9 feet tall. Served three years. The Praetorian Guard backstabbed his predecessor, then him. Live by the backstab, maybe die by the backstab. Been a lot of big ole boys in the world, without hgh injections. And steroids hurt performance, but cheaters love to try to cheat themselves, they`d rather lose by cheating than win by not. And unfortunately, no, it isn`t a surprise steroid use is caught, especially when it is legally available over the counter, within legal food supplements. If it weren`t unhealthy, Jose Canseco might be right the partial ban on steroids in baseball should be lifted. Be it IS unhealthy, and undercuts, not enhances, performance.
Andy Yao Ming's parents were forced to make a child together. And yes people can get that big im 16 and i stand 6'3" i know 3 ppl that stan in a range between 6'7" and 6'9" and none of them would ever touch any growth hormone or anything in that nature. Did u ever consider that ppl have the correct genetics just by chance or do u just jump to the worst conclution. not all ppl r that stupid.
If it were so easy and useful for 5`6 guys to become 6`10, they would, and then they wouldn`t be jealous. Yao, Ming, is the tallest all star ever, taller than that, biggest ever, Georghie Muresan retired and died young because his natural HGH malfunctioned. He was 7`7, started out 350 but got his weight down getting into better condition for a while, eventually played at 300. Shaq is the co heaviest nba guy ever, currently 325. Football is heavier, Sumo sometimes MUCH heavier. But big guys break chairs, break beds, have trouble squeezing in and out of cars, have to get specially made, bigger, multiply more expensive clothes, have to pay several times as much to eat several times as much food, etc. It is hell being oversized, and most big guys are NOT rich nor famous. Much easier to envy the few who are.
Gheorghe Mureşan "IS" 7'7 now. He is NOT dead.
Thanks, GimmeABreak. The Wikipedia last lists Georghe doing something in 2007, but says he IS 38, born in `71. I hope that is right. Funny, seemingly nice, guy.
I love how team executives never think a player took the banned substance for any of the reasons that someone would take the banned substance.No he didn't take it to get bigger,stronger or faster he took it because his bowel movements weren't regular or he thought it was a vitamin.
And why do these guys that test positive during the post season still get to participate in the post season?
What if after he tested positive the Magic had won the NBA Finals and he were named Finals MVP?
(pause for effect)
HAHAHAHAHAHA....Okay you got me that last part was a little joke...GO LAKERS!
PEDs in basketball? Gee, no kidding. They're in every sport, the league officials have been looking the other way for years. Shaq is at least 40 lbs lighter. Think he went on a diet? ah, not quiet. He just happen to lose the weight when they started drug testing.
HGH to make the players taller. lol. I think not. It's the drug of choice now because there is no test for it. PEDs in sports......only for about 60 years now.
http://www.steroidsinbaseball.net/commish/frick.html
David (5'2") slew Glorith (5"8") I suppose?
Breaking news according to "james"-post #10. "James" indicates that Shaq was a hulking steroid user,then lost 40 lbs of mass when he quit using steroids,for fear of being drug tested.For proof,professor "James" says there is no test for HGH or PEDS, and offers a link to "steroids in baseball". Hmmm- Does anybody else think this theory has a few holes in it? Perhaps Rashard Lewis does,and I'm pretty sure Shaq does too.
The Magic should have to forfeit the lousy 1 game they barely won in the Finals.
Why, this is shocking! Do you hear me? Shocking! Come on. Anyone with a brain in their head, prior to taking a supplement, would run it past the physicians to make sure that what he/she was about to take was permissible, since that could effect his career (and his/her team's ability to win). I wonder what percentage of "professional" athletes would be left if they were all made to hit the streets after a first offense and never allowed to again play in professional sports in the U.S.? Can't bring myself to feel sorry for those who stupidly squander their talents and careers.
This is totally ridiculous. My mother is 5'6", and my dad is 5'8". I am 6'3". Have been playing basketball all of my life. Steroids can't help you do anything in basketball. Stop it with the BS.
Shucks. I take DHEA and I'm an old woman. It's not doing anything to bulk up my muscles, I can tell you. I wish that they'd get their act together and figure out the difference in performance enhancing drugs and supplements. I think there is a very broad line between the two.
This will go on as long as they just slap these thugs on the wrist. They should be banned for one year for checking postive and a fine of one million dollars, the money to go to the local food bank. Second time around out for life!!
Why does everyone get offtopic? The Main story is about how Rashard lewis is stupid enough to use steroids.