Overview
- Paul George is serving a 25-game ban after the NBA announced a violation of its Anti-Drug Policy over the weekend.
- George has said the failed test resulted from an improper medication he was taking for mental-health reasons.
- Irvin, appearing on the It Is What It Is podcast, joked he wished he had used a similar explanation during his 1996 hotel-room incident.
- In 1996, Irvin pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor drug possession charges tied to cocaine and marijuana found in a Texas hotel room, and the case was later cleared from his record.
- Irvin indicated he was using self-deprecating humor rather than dismissing mental health concerns, as others like Charles Barkley publicly questioned the circumstances and the 76ers lose a cornerstone player for a lengthy stretch.