Paul George spent Tuesday issuing a mea culpa for his “poorly timed decision” that led to a 25-game ban for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program in late January.
The 76ers star did not go into detail about the failed drug test or the banned substance that he took that led to the suspension, describing it as “more on the personal side.”
“At the moment, I didn’t know exactly the repercussions,” George said.
“Obviously, being a pro athlete takes a toll on you, and my body wasn’t where I wanted it to be, and the expectation to perform because of my body not being where it needed to be,” George said. “Obviously, I’m going to have an expectation for myself, and that’s what led to the poor decision at the time. But, again, I’ve said it throughout my career dealing with mental health, I’m no superhero. I’m a human, and I made a mistake in that moment.”
The nine-time All-Star will rejoin the Sixers lineup on Wednesday night when they face the Bulls, marking the first time he’s suited up for Philadelphia since Jan. 29 in a game against the Kings.
The Sixers forward was allowed to practice and work out with the team, but he was unable to attend games, both on the road or at home, which he described as “tough.”
George was averaging 16 points and coming off one of his best efforts of the year, around the time he was suspended, after he had 32 points in a win over the Bucks.
“We’d been playing good basketball. So there was some devastation, just of the momentum that was being built,” George said of his initial reaction to the suspension.
George entered this season coming off an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee over the summer, and he sat out for the first 12 games of the year.
The 25-game suspension helped his body heal, and he told reporters he was feeling great.
His return now comes with 10 games left in the season and the Sixers sitting in seventh in the Eastern Conference.
“We’re in the driver’s seat to close out these last 10 games,” George said. “Obviously, that’s the goal, is to try to get the best seeding possible and get ourselves out of the play-in situation, so that’s what I’m gearing for, is to take these last 10 games and use them as playoff games, have that mindset going into them, that these are must-wins to solidify a great seed. We’re still in a good position right now.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
