The NBA has suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis for 25 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy, the league announced Thursday, a ban that sidelines the 2021 champion for the majority of the remainder of the season.
Portis tested positive for the drug tramadol, a medication used to treat severe pain in adults. It is an instance that his representative, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, said was an accident.
"I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant," Bartelstein said in a statement.
"Bobby unintentionally took a pain medication called tramadol, thinking he was taking a pain medication called Toradol. Toradol is an approved pain medication that he has used previously and that teams and players use for pain and inflammation at times. Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication and was just recently added to the banned substance list this past spring. The tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol. This was, again, an honest mistake that was made because of the similarity in the names of the drugs and the fact they both serve a very similar purpose. Bobby was using this anti-inflammatory pain-reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for that night's game."
Portis will not appeal the suspension, Bartelstein said.
The suspension is a devastating blow to the Bucks, who are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference at 29-24 and now lose one of the NBA's premier sixth men. The Bucks have one open roster spot to make an immediate move while Portis will lose $2.85 million with the 25-game suspension.
Portis will be eligible to return on April 8 against the Minnesota Timberwolves -- with four games left in the regular season. His suspension began with the Bucks' 116-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
"I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation," Portis said in a statement released by the team. "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."
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Portis' positive test happened "a long time ago," without going into specifics. Rivers said he believed the punishment shouldn't be so severe, given the circumstances.
"Rules are rules," Rivers said. "I get it. I get it. But there are also human circumstances and common sense to me. One thing Bobby's not is a cheater. To me, that's what we have to try, to figure out how to change this a little bit. Because when it's clear ... when [the names of the substances] are that close, and it's clear, you can tell now from the blood samples that was the only time ever, that you would think we could do something less severe. But we have this rule, if you do it, you're out. That's the way it is. I just feel bad for Bobby on so many levels."
Portis has averaged 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 46 games, ranking sixth in scoring and second in boards off the bench among NBA players. He has finished top three in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award over the past two seasons, and he has totaled the second-most points for a reserve in the past three years.
"I know Bobby, that he feels probably that he's letting the team down and probably he might be embarrassed, but at the end of the day, I know how Bobby is," Bucks forward and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "I know he's going to be ready. After these 25 games, he's going to be ready to come and finish the season with us and get ready for the playoffs because he's competitive. We need his competitive spirit around."
It has been a trying season for Portis, who missed six games already because of the death of his grandmother. Portis also was on the list of athletes who had their homes burglarized, incidents that resulted in federal charges being filed in Florida against seven men from Chile.
"The thing I did tell him is this is going to be one hell of a story for you," Rivers said.
Portis is in his 10th NBA season, having spent half of that time with the Bucks. He's one of four remaining players from the Bucks' 2021 championship squad, along with Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton.
"From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans," Portis said in his statement. "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. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it more than you know."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.