The NBA dropped a bombshell Friday night when it slapped a 25-game suspension on Paul George for violating its anti-drug policy. The news, which came out of nowhere, left plenty of questions unanswered regarding both the reason and the consequences. Further probing revealed details that raised even more eyebrows.
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George’s violation of the league’s drug policy was connected to using performance-enhancing substances. Instead, it was the improper use of mental health medication. The 76ers forward has since come out and taken full responsibility for his actions, calling it “poor decision-making” on his part, and apologized to the team and organization.
This violation will cost him around $11.7 million in pay. However, Charles Barkley thinks that there’s more to the story and that the league isn’t revealing it.
“There’s something fishy going on here,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA. “I don’t joke around about mental health. But if you’re taking something for mental health, that’s got to be an outlier to the NBA.”
“We don’t need any player suffering from mental health … but this sounds fishy.”
Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA panel break down Paul George’s 25-game suspension and what it means for the Sixers moving forward. pic.twitter.com/KfCVC198HO
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 1, 2026
Perhaps there is more to the story that the NBA is not telling us. Barkley then made a strong argument in support of players like George, who are in a situation where they have no other way but to take mental health medication.
“If you’re taking something for mental health, even if it’s on a list, you should get a hall pass,” the former 76ers star stated.
It will be interesting to see whether the league and commissioner Adam Silver consider what the former player was advocating for. After all, mental health has become a larger issue across sports in recent years.
Somewhat strangely, the league chose to punish George immediately rather than issue a warning or hand a less severe reprimand. Perhaps more details of the incident will emerge in the future.
For now, George is taking full responsibility, and the situation will likely be forgotten soon. It remains a tough blow for a Sixers team that has played well this season, sitting at 27-21 to this point. Now, it will be up to Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to continue carrying the torch for the franchise.
George should be back before the end of the season and available for the playoffs, though. Hopefully, the team has enough depth on the roster to stay in a playoff position.
