The NBA dropped a bombshell on Friday night when it announced that Paul George had violated its anti-drug policy, resulting in a 25-game suspension. The news came out of nowhere and left plenty of questions unanswered regarding both the reason and the consequences. Further probing only revealed details that raised even more eyebrows.
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George’s violation of the league’s drug policy was not related to performance-enhancing substances, but rather to the improper use of mental health medication. The former Clipper 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.
Furthermore, this violation will cost him around $11.7 million in pay. However, Charles Barkley thinks that there’s more to the story that the league isn’t revealing. He argued that the NBA should’ve made a special note of cases like George.
“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
It is an excellent point that not many have considered. Perhaps there is more to the story that the NBA is not telling us. Later on, Barkley made a strong argument in support of players like George taking 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 take into account 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 issuing a warning or opting for a less severe reprimand.
Perhaps more details 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 to stay in a playoff position.
