Rashard Lewis suspended for PED’s; LeBron talks dunk tapes
Rashard Lewis (photo. Orlando Sentinel)
Yesterday was weird. For the last year or so, one of the running jokes in the Dime office has been that the Magic are collectively too jacked for one NBA team. We’d already nicknamed Dwight Howard “The Centaur” for obvious reasons, then you got J.J. Redick looking like an MTV “True Life: I’m a Jersey Shore Bodybuilder” alum, Pietrus and Jameer on swole, Anthony Johnson dunking on cats at 49 years old, and even Skip seemed to get more cut-up as soon as he got to Orlando. When they picked up Brandon Bass, it kicked up the too-diesel talk all over again. But then yesterday, when news broke that one of the Magic players had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, it turned out to be one of the guys we never talked about: Rashard Lewis … The NBA suspended Rashard for the first 10 games of this upcoming season due to a positive test for DHEA, a testosterone booster that’s on the League’s banned-substance list. Rashard said he took an over-the-counter supplement and didn’t know it contained DHEA — a totally believable story since DHEA is found in a lot of over-the-counter stuff that’s legal to the general public … Just like the Alex Rodriguez case, however, you have to wonder why Rashard would even risk taking a PED. (If this was only a recent thing.) He already signed his monster contract, he already had All-Star status, and hasn’t really had significant injury issues during his career. Then again, with that monster contract comes monster expectations and monster pressure to perform … Coincidentally, just last week Dime’s Austin Burton wrote this column about the concept of “cheating” in sports and where PED’s fit within the NBA … From a team perspective, this is potentially disastrous for Orlando. The East is tough this year, and losing their 2nd or 3rd-best player for 10 games could cost them a division title, and/or valuable homecourt advantage at some point in the playoffs … So big was the Rashard story that it stole the headlines from LeBron James, even when LBJ spoke publicly for the first time about the LePruder Film and also talked about his 2010 plans. LeBron said he never told anyone from Nike to confiscate the tape of Jordan Crawford dunking on him (“You can go on YouTube and see me being dunked on by a lot of guys”), and when asked if he’d stay in Cleveland long-term, said, “I hope so.” Not that the staunch LBJ haters will let him off the hook for the dunk tape thing anyway, but at least it’s out there … Nobody really talked about it because it happened in the lower-profile Orlando league and not in Vegas, but Russell Westbrook was an animal this summer. Westbrook sat down for a Dime Q&A about his offseason explosion, his workout plan, and playing for Team USA … Marvin Williams, who is re-signing with the Hawks, had this in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “The one thing you hardly ever see in professional sports is that loyalty and teams staying together. When you do see it, like in San Antonio or Detroit, you see championships.” If the Hawks keep this core together — Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Marvin, and let’s assume they transition from Mike Bibby to Jeff Teague at PG — how close can they get to a championship? … Besides God or evolution or bad luck or whatever you believe in, is anyone really to blame for Yao Ming’s latest injury? According to China’s vice minister of sports, it’s Rick Adelman’s fault … Responding to a Philly newspaper story about Donyell Marshall likely being done with the Sixers and eyeing into retirement, one of the Dime crew said, “(Donyell) should go directly to jail for his thievery over the past 10 years.” Meanwhile, the new Donyell Marshall, Devean George, just won’t go away. Devean told the Contra Costa Times, “I didn’t come (to the Warriors) to sit on the bench. I can make open shots. I’m good at figuring out my niche, how to get playing time. [There are] a lot of the little things I can bring to the table that coaches like.” Such as? … We’re out like Donyell …
August 7th, 2009 at 2:37 am
jackass says:
first y’all
August 7th, 2009 at 3:02 am
smoove chips says:
A don nelson offence is based on running that ball and getting open for quick buckets.they gon hate this cat (DG)in Golden state.
Imma straight lmao if Brandon bass gon be on some young shaq shyt come october.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:03 am
T.J. says:
I think in some years we could really be title contenders
August 7th, 2009 at 3:19 am
yw says:
haha, adelman’s fault, that’s some funny stuff
August 7th, 2009 at 4:04 am
SL says:
wait, are you serious? JJ redick looking like a bodybuilder ?!?
dude is nothing special in comparisonto the rest of the league. what a joke.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:31 am
the_don_mega says:
“(Donyell) should go directly to jail for his thievery over the past 10 years.”
- that’s just cold… LOL!
August 7th, 2009 at 4:34 am
EN FUEGO says:
You buy over-the-counter sups and claim that you didn’t know it was illegal. That has got to be one of the dumbest shit alibis I’ve heard since A-Rod.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:55 am
Kevin says:
I don’t see what’s so dumb about that. If you buy something that’s totally legal at GNC, you shouldn’t HAVE to assume there’s something banned in it. You should def check seeing as you’re a pro athlete, but I can buy that excuse.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:12 am
alf (from melmak) says:
Just in case anyone is wondering where Donyell Marshall is heading, the guy seems to believe he has a career in broadcasting.
He is currently enrolled in a supposed “elite broadcating camp” at Syracuse University together with Brevin Knight, Tony Battie, Mike James, Anthony Parker, and Malik Rose. Do they have what it takes to make it big behind the micrphone?
My meal allowance says these guys might have been inspired by the success of Sir Charles, C-Webb, Mark Jackson, and even Reggie Miller.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:56 am
K Dizzle says:
@ post 8 – good post
@ post 7 – you should educate yourself before you throw out bad opinions
First off, DHEA ain’t illegal, it’s just banned in some pro sports. Your body produces it naturally and Lewis wasn’t usin whatever supplement he was caught with for the DHEA cuz your body really doesn’t slow down production till your 30s if you healthy, so unless dude has lupus, is tryin to shed weight or got issues in the bedroom, his “alibi” is legit.
Devean George just needs to go away and Big Baby is livin up to his nickname HARD…
August 7th, 2009 at 6:40 am
KB24 says:
Quit hating on D George like that…Dude has rings..he was like the Trevor Ariza this year for the Lakeshow..not necessarily defense like Trev…but the open 3’s he be making..
August 7th, 2009 at 7:27 am
dk says:
Bro, its not legit, stop making pussy ass excuses for the man. Hes 100 mil. athlete with 52 personal trainers, he thought he could get away with. By the way me shooting sustenon in my ass is processed
August 7th, 2009 at 7:30 am
dk says:
naturally. Its def. a PED and its def. clearly listed on the bottle of whatever you buy and he def. was aware of its legality. I will say its gay that its legal ( not for long ) but illegal for him.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:34 am
dk says:
The jersey shore comment was gold, makes me wanna check in again more often. Adds some depth the humor instead of an oversized rotoworld article. Im out like my shipment from Mexico * flicks needle *
August 7th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Charles says:
Well it’s about time. I still think that well over 50% of all athletes are on some sort of performance enhancing something or other. Now if VC looks jacked this year I’ll know there is defiantly something up as that guy hasn’t seen a gym in his career. He’s softer then PP and that guy looks like the Pillsbury dough boy.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:13 am
that's whats up says:
Devean George should join the Bosley Hair Restoration team
August 7th, 2009 at 8:47 am
FK in T-Oh says:
The bigger piece to me was Lebron discussing the walk out on Orlando without shaking hands.
I still can’t digest the supposed ‘King’ acting so little bitch-ish, and disrespecting the Eastern Conference champs.
LBJ is inevitably going to keep wearing the Dime crew, and every other media hype machine snug inside his boxers, but tarnish is starting to appear on the armor.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Dennis Castro says:
These guys are rich enough to hire people to read what they’re taking and make sure that the over the counter stuff doesn’t contain anything illegal.
I don’t buy it.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Rico says:
Rashard Lewis is taking a HUGE hit for what appears to be an honest mistake?
he earns roughly $18 Million next year and a 10 game without pay suspension represents 12% of his base salary (not counting bonuses and milestones) which is roughly $2.1 Million Dollars!
That is NOT a light slap on the wrist!
August 7th, 2009 at 9:56 am
EN FUEGO says:
@ 8 and 10
Damn. Spoken like Rashard’s fellow performance-enhancing using freaks. LOL.
@12 and 13
Hell yeah!
August 7th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Sanssasin says:
i would buy his excuse if he was a european and didn’t know english well enough to read it on a bottle. PLEASE! this is like the b12 shots in baseball.
just give me an athlete that says, “ahhh…. you caught me! i was just trying to get an edge up”
i am so sick of excuses.
also i love how rashard says he takes full responsibility for his actions. then in the next breath he claims he didn’t know.
PLEASE! you have how many personal trainers and none of them told you “these supplements will make you test positive”?? and as a pro athlete, you know what will make you test positive and you don’t bother reading the labels. come on. (in my best seth myers voice) really!!??
August 7th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Sanssasin says:
and ONLY 10 games!!
August 7th, 2009 at 10:50 am
jzsmoove says:
He only got 10 games cuz he pleaded guilty, and is arguably one of the good fellas (not the other goodfella)in the NBA.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:16 am
bballinca says:
Best thing for Rashard is to have a press conference with said bottle of whatever OTC supplement he took and say “This is what I bought at GNC. I bought it on xxx date and used it from xxx until xxx. It’s legal to anyone to buy. I’ll be more careful next time.”
This way he puts it out there and doesn’t leave us guessing if he actually took steriods.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:32 am
POPPI GEE says:
“I can make open shots.”
Ummmm…aren’t you suppose to make open shots and contested?? LOL.
You had to know with football and baseball having their share of PED problems they were going to key in on basketball next, for various reasons.
Hockey and Soccer are probably the sports that don’t get any issues highlighted in regards to PEDs.
Before you know it Golf players will be tested if they aren’t already. Hope Tiger stays clean.
As long as Atlanta has the same coach, a gerbil has a better chance of staying rectum free in prison than the Hawks do of winning it all. And I am done with that.
Gonna be Shaq and LeBron overload on the media this year.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:37 am
LMAO says:
Truly another “Child Star” gone wrong. Poor babies. Into that nasty old NBA league right out of high school. Those guys turn into very rich druggies and rapists and lord knows what all.
Pretty much nothing to get excited about in the NBA world. The large majority are on one drug or the other. No sweat.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Superman12fan says:
I want to believe Rashard when he says he didn’t know the supplement contained the banned substance, but then again how fuckin’ hard is it to read what the hell the supplement contained?!
I just hope Orlando has an easy schedule in the start of the season otherwise this stupid suspension might cost us.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:56 am
doc says:
I hope every athlete in the world start taking steroids.Who gives a shit besides some dickeating ass fans who wouldnt be good if they took the damn things or not.Fuck them enhance yall performance im trying to see the best.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
nowwhatyo says:
Donyell Marshall started and had some productive years in Utah, but Devean George has sucked his entire career. Put Donyell on the list of players who had a good season or two, got paid, then fell off hard.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
bballinca says:
#27
agreed, jsut make it a freak show with a bunch of roided out guys. Can you imagine what the Olympic atheletes would look like?
August 7th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ post 20
you a clown, dude. Now anyone who says it mighta been an honest mistake gotta be enhancin too? Classic…
Let’s review this performance enhancin “scrub”
After 10 years in the l and at the ripe old age of 29, Lewis decided he needed a PED to help out his perimeter oriented game, so ignorin the fact that he’s 2 years into a 118 Mil deal, made the allstar team again, and just finished gettin his team to the finals, he decides to take a supplement knowin that when he gets gets tested, he’s gonna be positive for because???
Yea, you right. Another athlete busted. Give your head a shake. You think shit is so easy to stay on top of, here’s the sporting banned substance list. Have a look
http://www.cces.ca/pdfs/CCES-PUB-SubstanceClassification-E.pdf
Usin PEDs might be beneficial for a journeyman or old vet tryin to hang on, or a player in a contract year, or a youngin tryin to get caught up quick, but a 10 year vet, with that fat contract who’s game is based on jackin 3s?
Try to look at each case on its own instead of lumpin all athletes in a pile just cuz baseball players been shady. You think this shit so common and Lewis would be the only dude “caught”?
THINK!
I’m out
August 7th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
iamrich says:
hey devean, i can hit open shots too…(nba players say the dumbest things) there should be a book with all the dumb quotes from nba players. Latrell Spreewell would be the cover boy with his famous “i gotta feed my kids line” I wonder how those kids are doing by the way since he talked his way out of an NBA contract….man o man
August 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs before Slamball says:
Actually since alot of you seem illinformed about this stuff its real simple and as one of their trainers with these pro athletes I’ll clear it up for you.
1. Most guys don’t have hundreds of personal trainers, its usually one team trainer or their own personal trainer they have known for like 20 years. They don’t risk having tons of people they don’t trust who could injure them or give them bad advice.
2. Theres not one trainer in the whole nba who can list off every banned substance. Its just too hard to do, you know the basics but if you just got to GNC and pick something up, its not like someones gonna tackle a athlete saying “no don’t take that”
3. dude admitted he was wrong. he said he was sorry and it was a mistake, its not like they found a bunch of roid needles in his gym bag, he bought a $30 supplement from GNC. Its just like athlete who take weight loss pills or hydroxycut etc…ya they should do more research but its not like their out buying HGH all the time. Even if they ask their trainer, most of the time they’ll just get a “ya I heard its decent” or something. Theres soooo many differnt LEGAL stuff you can buy that its acutally pretty easy to slip up. I mean how many people know you can fail a drug test just from eattin too many of those poppy seeds on bagels because they have a chemical in them similar to weed? When your in college they give you a list of stuff thats banned, how many people r gonna take that list with them and scan off everything for each product? So know some stuff before u start bashing the guy…
@Dime, AS for the lebron tapes…you all need to stop ridin him so hard before your kids start lookin like him. Just cuz dude does BS stuff and people call him out on it, doesn’t make them haters. Or i guess that would mean your all just homers. I mean really, if the tapes HAD to be taken and he had no say, then why didn’t the cameramen get the tapes back until after they were already aired? I mean if nike has a policy, shoudn’t they have just kept them anyway?
August 7th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
sh!tfaced says:
@26
Good call. It seems these High School to Pro players always seem to show some sort of glaring flaw somehow.
LeBron’s an ass, Kobe’s a rapist, KG is loud and annoying, Jennings is an arrogant prick and now Rashard is a doping finesse player.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
doc says:
@bballinca-They be doing dunks looking like they coming off trampolines the Phoenix gorilla style.