Tristan Thompson Receives 25-Game Suspension for Violating NBA Anti-Drug Policy
Say it ain’t so, Double T.
The NBA on Tuesday announced that Tristan Thompson must serve a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug program.
Thompson tested positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033, according to the NBA.
Ibutamoren is a growth hormone, and the alien-sounding SARM LGD-4033 is “used by bodybuilders and weightlifters for muscle enhancement,” according to the Associated Press.
This is a tough pill to swallow (unlike ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033, apparently).
In his second stint with the Cavs – he was part of the franchise’s first and only NBA championship in 2016 – Thompson has played a bigger role than most people probably assumed he would. With Evan Mobley sidelined since mid-December, Thompson has stabilized the Cavs’ frontcourt, providing quality minutes off the bench as a tenacious paint patroller.
At 32, Double T is in the prime of his life. (I’d trade a kidney and a first-round draft pick to be that young again.) But in basketball years, I guess he’s getting a bit long in the tooth. Still, it sure seemed like he was defying father time.
Now we know why.
I suppose Damian Jones is the logical choice to fill Double T’s shoes, which is a booby prize if there ever was one. Jones has seemed about as unplayable as Robin Lopez was last year. I’d love to be wrong on this one, but some players are journeymen for a reason.
Don’t count out Pete Nance, whom the Cavaliers recently signed to a 10-day contract. The 6-11 Nance is an Akron, Ohio, native and he’s a Nance, which immediately endears him to many Cavs faithful. It would be easy to root for a guy like that if the Cavs give him an opportunity.
Thompson Must Be an Idiot
Double T coming back to Cleveland and thriving as a perpetual pest in the post had all the makings of a feel-good story, especially with the team playing so well in recent weeks. This is the team that drafted him, and this is where spent most of this career – including some lean times during the pre- and post-LeBron years.
Maybe the pressure to perform at peak, vintage Double T energy was too great. Or maybe he wasn’t aware that his personal trainer was slipping banned substances into his shamrock shake.
At the end of the day, it was a costly mistake – for the Cavs and Thompson. This is a 25-game suspension without pay. More importantly, the Cavs are in the thick of a hotly contested Eastern Conference playoff race, and Thompson’s steadying presence and veteran leadership will be missed.