NBA Players Just Caught Using Steroids!

The NBA is celebrated for its dazzling dunks, unforgettable rivalries, and legendary champions. But behind the bright lights and billion-dollar contracts lies a darker story — one of addiction, mistakes, and redemption.

From accidental mix-ups with prescription painkillers to devastating battles with cocaine and opioids, the league has seen stars fall from grace, sometimes permanently. These stories remind us that athletes, no matter how talented, are human beings facing pressures, injuries, and temptations that can derail even the most promising careers.

This feature revisits ten players whose encounters with drugs shaped their legacies, altered the course of their teams, and forced the NBA to confront the reality of substance abuse.

Bobby Portis: A Painful Mix-Up

In February 2025, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis was suspended for 25 games after testing positive for Tramadol, an opioid painkiller on the NBA’s banned list.

Portis, a fan favorite known for his intensity, had been battling an elbow injury. According to his agent, the suspension stemmed from a simple but costly mistake: Portis believed he was taking Toradol, a league-approved anti-inflammatory, but was mistakenly given Tramadol.

Impact: The suspension cost him over $1.2 million in salary and sidelined him during a crucial playoff push.
Reaction: Bucks coach Doc Rivers defended him, calling it an honest mistake.
Aftermath: Portis returned in March and used the experience to advocate for better education on banned substances.

His case sparked debate: should accidental ingestion carry the same penalty as deliberate abuse? For Portis, the incident was a painful reminder that even small errors can have massive consequences.

Tristan Thompson: Performance Enhancers and Reputation

Veteran center Tristan Thompson, a key piece of Cleveland’s 2016 championship, faced his own suspension in January 2024.

He tested positive for MK-677 (Ibutamoren), a growth hormone secretagogue, and LGD-4033 (Ligandrol), a selective androgen receptor modulator. Both are performance-enhancing drugs.

Penalty: 25 games without pay, costing him $750,000.
Defense: Thompson claimed contaminated supplements were to blame.
Legacy: Though he returned, his reputation took a hit.

For a player once celebrated for his rebounding and grit, the suspension raised uncomfortable questions about how aging veterans try to extend their careers.

Michael Ray Richardson: The First Lifetime Ban

Few stories are as tragic as Michael Ray Richardson, a four-time All-Star point guard in the 1980s.

Richardson’s cocaine addiction spiraled out of control during an era when drug use was rampant in the league. After multiple violations, he became the first player in NBA history to receive a lifetime ban in 1986 under Commissioner David Stern’s strict three-strike policy.

Stats at the time: Averaging 20 points and 8 assists.
Aftermath: He played overseas in Italy and France, finding redemption away from the NBA spotlight.
Legacy: Richardson admitted the ban saved his life, forcing him to confront his addiction.

He passed away in November 2025 at age 70, remembered as both a cautionary tale and a symbol of recovery.

Richard Dumas: Talent Lost to Crack Cocaine

Drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1991, Richard Dumas showed flashes of brilliance, averaging nearly 16 points in the 1993 playoffs. But his career was derailed by addiction that began at age 15.

Suspensions: Missed his entire rookie season after testing positive for cocaine.
Collapse: Failed another test after the 1993 Finals, leading to indefinite suspension.
Ban: Permanently banned in 1995 at just 27 years old.

Dumas later admitted addiction robbed him of millions and a long career. He eventually found recovery through counseling and family support, but his NBA story remains one of wasted potential.

John Drew: Courage to Confess

In 1983, John Drew, a two-time All-Star, became one of the first active players to publicly admit to cocaine addiction.

His confession, published in The New York Times, shocked the league and exposed the depth of the crisis. Despite rehab attempts, Drew relapsed and was eventually banned for life in 1986.

Cost: He spent up to $1,000 a day on cocaine.
Aftermath: Arrested in 1986 for possession, later became a counselor for at-risk youth.
Death: Passed away in 2022 at age 67.

Drew’s honesty helped destigmatize addiction, but his career was a casualty of the NBA’s war on drugs.

Roy Tarpley: Sixth Man of the Year, Then Gone

Roy Tarpley, drafted by Dallas in 1986, won Sixth Man of the Year in 1988 and looked destined for stardom. Instead, alcohol and cocaine destroyed his career.

Suspensions: Multiple bans between 1989 and 1995.
Lawsuit: Sued the NBA for discrimination against recovering addicts, but settled without reinstatement.
Death: Died in 2015 at age 50 from liver failure.

Tarpley’s story highlights the NBA’s evolving approach: strict bans in the 1980s and 1990s, but limited support systems for recovery.

Chris Washburn: Addiction Before the NBA

Drafted third overall in 1986, Chris Washburn was once seen as a future star. But his cocaine addiction began in high school and intensified at NC State, where allegations claimed he snorted cocaine during halftime of games.

NBA Career: Just 72 games before a lifetime ban in 1989.
Aftermath: Spiraled into homelessness and arrests.
Recovery: Found sobriety in the 2000s, working in mortgages and mentoring others.

Washburn’s fall remains one of the league’s most infamous draft busts.

Chris Andersen: The Birdman’s Redemption

Known for his tattoos and energy, Chris Andersen was banned in 2006 while with the Hornets for violating the drug program.

Ban: Two years, substance undisclosed but believed to involve hard drugs.
Comeback: Reinstated in 2008, revived his career with Denver, and won a championship with Miami in 2013.
Legacy: Retired in 2017, remembered as one of the few who turned a ban into redemption.

Andersen’s story showed that second chances were possible in the modern NBA.

O.J. Mayo: Painkillers and Lost Potential

Drafted third overall in 2008, O.J. Mayo looked like a future star. But in 2016, he was dismissed and disqualified for abusing prescription painkillers after a leg fracture.

Earlier Suspension: 10 games in 2011 for DHEA, a banned hormone.
Ban: Minimum two years, effectively ending his NBA career at 28.
Aftermath: Played overseas, later admitted addiction consumed his finances and focus.

Mayo has since spoken openly about recovery, but his NBA career was permanently derailed.

Tyreke Evans: Rookie of the Year to Ban

Tyreke Evans, the 2009 Rookie of the Year, was banned in 2019 after testing positive for a drug of abuse.

Ban: Two years, substance undisclosed but believed to involve cocaine or opioids.
Return: Reinstated in 2022, briefly signed with Indiana but failed to stick.
Aftermath: Played overseas, later became a youth coach and mental health advocate.

Evans admitted the ban saved him from worse outcomes, turning his story into one of survival rather than tragedy.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned, Battles Ongoing

The NBA’s history with drugs is complex. From the cocaine epidemic of the 1980s to modern cases involving painkillers and supplements, the league has evolved from lifetime bans to rehabilitation opportunities.

These stories — Portis’ accidental mix-up, Thompson’s supplement controversy, Richardson’s tragic addiction, Andersen’s redemption — remind us that behind the highlight reels are human beings facing immense pressure.

The NBA continues to balance punishment with compassion, striving to protect both the integrity of the game and the health of its players. For fans, these cautionary tales are sobering reminders: greatness can vanish in an instant, and redemption, while possible, is never guaranteed.