Why is Tristan Thompson suspended by NBA? 25-game ban explored after consumption of banned substances

Tristan Thompson may have found his way back into the league after taking the 2022-23 season, off, however, the Cavaliers veteran has now landed in hot water. On the heels of Thompson and the Cavaliers picking up a 126-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday, Tristan Thompson was suspended by the NBA. According to Shams Charania, Thompson violated the NBA's drug policy.

As a result of his infraction, the former NBA champion has been hit with a 25-game suspension from the league. As many fans were quick to point out in response to the news, the NBA allows players to use marijuana now, meaning that Thompson's violation was for another banned substance.

In a follow-up, Shams Charania reported that Tristan Thompson tested positive for two performance-enhancing drugs: Ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033. The first substance, Ibutamoren, is described by NDTV as a performance-enhancing drug (PED) used by bodybuilders and weight lifters:

"To increase their bone density and prevent injuries during demanding workouts, reduce muscle loss and enhance their eventual muscle gains."

The other substance, SARM LGD-4033, commonly known as Ligandrol, is another performance-enhancing drug meant to improve athletic performance. The PED is banned by both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the NCAA. According to WebMD:

"Ligandrol is used to increase energy, improve athletic performance, increase muscle growth, and for other uses, but there is no good scientific evidence to support its use. Ligandrol might also be unsafe."

With the news, Tristan Thompson will not only miss the upcoming Cavaliers' game on Thursday, but he will also miss every game between now and March 16.

Looking further at Tristan Thompson’s NBA suspension

The news of Tristan Thompson’s performance enhancing drug use took many fans by surprise. While PED testing and PED-related suspensions are more common in other sports organizations, like the UFC, for example, the NBA rarely deals with PED offenses.

After the league learned that Tristan Thompson had failed a drug test, the NBA Communications account, run by the league, was quick to make an announcement. In a post on social media, the account shared a press release which read:

“The NBA announced today that Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been suspended without pay for twenty-five games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBA PA Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033. Thompson’s suspension will begin with tomorrow’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks.”

To make matters even more strange, many members of the NBA community were quick to point out that Thompson’s play didn’t show any signs of improvement. After taking a season off as previously mentioned, Thompson was averaging a career-low with the Cleveland Cavaliers for this season.

Despite the use of performance-enhancing drugs, Thompson was averaging just 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, both career lows for the NBA vet. So far, there has been no word from Thompson on the matter, however, from the sounds of things, many expect him to release a statement sooner rather than later.