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Former Razorback Portis Suspended by NBA for Drug Violation

Milwaukee star's representative says player took wrong medication and was a 'mistake'

Bob Stephens

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis was suspended 25 games for using a substance banned by the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis was suspended 25 games for using a substance banned by the NBA. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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Former Razorback All-American and current Milwaukee Bucks star Bobby Portis has been suspended for 25 games by the National Basketball Association.

Portis played only two seasons at Arkansas before jumping to the NBA in 2015. The Chicago Bulls drafted him in the first round as the 22nd overall pick.

Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-10 forward has been spent time with four NBA teams. He joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and helped them win the championship.

He's been a major contributor to the Bucks' success for five years. This season, he's averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He's shooting 46% overall, 36% on 3-pointers, and 82% on free throws.

Portis was suspended without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, the league announced Thursday.

Portis tested positive for the banned substance Tramadol. It's described on drugs.com as "an opioid agonist that may be used to treat moderate to moderately severe chronic pain in adults.”

Portis' representative, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN's Shams Chariana it was an honest mistake because the pain reliever was mixed up with another NBA-approved drug.

Some Bucks fans remained supportive of Portis despite the news. He's always been a fan favorite in Milwaukee.

The Little Rock Hall graduate was a key factor in the Bucks winning the 2021 NBA championship. In the decisive sixth game, he scored 16 points in 22 minutes off the bench as the Bucks clinched their first title in a half century.

Make no mistake. Portis' two years as a Razorback were impressive enough to put him in the conversation when discussing greatest players the program has produced.

He was named second-team All-American honors by the Associated Press. He was the AP's Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

As a freshman, he averaged 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds during a 22-12 season. He improved as a sophomore with 17.5 points,, 8.9 boards and 2.2 assists while shooting an impressive 54% overall, 47% on 3-pointers, and 74% at the line.

He led the Hogs to a 27-9 record, 13-5 in the SEC. Arkansas was a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost 87-78 in the second round to No. 4 North Carolina. Portis had 18 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and five steals against the Tar Heels.

"I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant," Bartelstein told ESPN.

"Bobby unintentionally took a pain medication called tramadol, thinking he was taking a pain medication called Toradol. Toradol is an approved pain medication that he has used previously and that teams and players use for pain and inflammation at times.

"Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication and was just recently added to the banned substance list this past spring. The tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol.

"This was, again, an honest mistake that was made because of the similarity in the names of the drugs and the fact they both serve a very similar purpose.

"Bobby was using this anti-inflammatory pain-reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for that night's game."

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• Auburn holds on against Arkansas, protects No. 1 ranking

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Bob Stephens
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