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Basketball Fan
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 Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 5:27 pm Post subject: George Karl: NBA has steroid issue |
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http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/12/26/george-karl-nba-has-steroid-issue/
| Quote: | George Karl: NBA has steroid issue
How seriously are steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs treated in the NBA?
On one hand, the league introduced blood testing. On the other hand, the overwhelming narrative about the only recent suspension for steroids was that the player mistakenly took a banned substance while trying to reverse his balding.
The rhetoric and policies suggest due diligence. A lack of suspensions says either the league is relatively clean – or that a problem is being swept under the rug.
Former Kings/Nuggets/Bucks/Sonics/Warriors/Cavaliers coach George Karl says it’s the latter.
Karl in “Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection:”
We’ve got a more thorough drug-testing program than the NFL or MLB, which we always brag about. But we’ve still got a drug issue, though a different one than thirty years ago. And this one bothers me more than the dumbasses who got in trouble with recreational drugs.
I’m talking about performance-enhancing drugs—like steroids, human growth hormone, and so on. It’s obvious some of our players are doping. How are some guys getting older—yet thinner and fitter? How are they recovering from injuries so fast? Why the hell are they going to Germany in the off-season? I doubt it’s for the sauerkraut.
More likely it’s for the newest, hard-to-detect blood boosters and PEDs they have in Europe. Unfortunately, drug testing always seems to be a couple steps behind drug hiding. Lance Armstrong never failed a drug test. I think we want the best athletes to succeed, not the biggest, richest cheaters employing the best scientists. But I don’t know what to do about it.
I don’t know whether Karl has specific insights into a problem. His lengthy coaching career certainly positioned him to have inside information. But he could also be supposing based on the circumstantial evidence presented here.
Either way, I suspect he’s right. We marvel at the athleticism and longevity of NBA players the same way we celebrated the uptick of home runs in the 1990s – with too much awe and not enough skepticism. So much of the lack of suspicion into NBA steroids use is based on the long-standing idea that the drugs wouldn’t help fluid athletes like basketball players. But the prevailing opinion used to be that only hitters, not pitchers, benefited from steroids. Then, a ton of pitchers tested positive. Steroids ran far deeper in baseball than many imagined, and I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if the same is true in basketball. To be clear, I have no specific knowledge of wider steroid use in the NBA. Just a hunch.
Does Karl have more? He at least appears to take a specific shot.
By mentioning Germany, is Karl implying Kobe Bryant, who was well known for his offseason trips to Germany? Karl never mentions Kobe, and before you think there’s specific reason to accuse Kobe, consider that Kobe played for Phil Jackson – Karl’s longtime coaching rival. It’s often too personal with Karl.
Sometimes, though, he’s right.
Disclosure: I received a promotional copy of “Furious George.” |
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USCandLakers
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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LeBron.
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TDRock
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow. He just came out swinging with this book... |
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gumby
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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LOL. Beat me to the punch.
Should change the title to Lebron has steroid issue.
Bye.
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Guessing since he considers his NBA coaching career over he is running over the entire league.... |
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venturalakersfan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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You guys saying Lebron missed the Kobe mention? The writer is speculating he is talking about Kobe, not Lebron. I have never heard of Lebron going to Germany.
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Hammett
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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Nothing more than bait to get people to buy his book. They know how to get away with just enough without being sued for libel.
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RestEasyBlackMamba
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| Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Wade and his growing jawline back his claim. |
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Cochese
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:48 am Post subject: |
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| The entire 2009 Orlando Magic team was on steroids imo. |
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Moises
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| Kobe was probably on the juice during the 2002 offseason when he came back as Buff Kobe. |
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spflakers
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:38 am Post subject: |
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| I for one would hate it if players took a substance that allowed them to lengthen their careers and lets us enjoy their talents for much longer. |
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non-player zealot
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Fan0Bynum17
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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| spflakers wrote: | | I for one would hate it if players took a substance that allowed them to lengthen their careers and lets us enjoy their talents for much longer. |
Yeah, it's a tragedy that players are taking drugs that make them recover from injuries faster, have they no shame? Is it all about the money for them? It's certainly not for the owners or the league, who always make the decision that's best for player health instead of what makes them more money. Like that time they lessened the number of games in the season, or eliminated back to back games. |
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jonnybravo
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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Karl like so many numbnuts can't help conflating steroids, all peds and orthokine. 30 years and his numerous examples total freaking zero. Really? Not even a anecdote without a name.
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Basketball Fan
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| jonnybravo wrote: | | Karl like so many numbnuts can't help conflating steroids, all peds and orthokine. 30 years and his numerous examples total freaking zero. Really? Not even a anecdote without a name. |
I'm guessing references to Germany etc were his "clever" way of revealing it. |
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Basketball Fan
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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| venturalakersfan wrote: | | You guys saying Lebron missed the Kobe mention? The writer is speculating he is talking about Kobe, not Lebron. I have never heard of Lebron going to Germany. |
No but he's gone to Miami which is not that much different (allegedly) |
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cathy78
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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So Germany is the place for doping know? Never heard of that one before.
Why has Karl an issue with steroids? Because he thinks it's unfair competition or because he is seriously worried about the individuals taking drugs and their health issues?
I don't feel a deep personal worry for the players from him. And unfair competition in an entertainment business because of performance enhancing drugs? That is pretty ridiculous. |
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LakersChamps04
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like total speculation on his part. He's just trying to sell a book |
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jonnybravo
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Basketball Fan wrote: | | jonnybravo wrote: | | Karl like so many numbnuts can't help conflating steroids, all peds and orthokine. 30 years and his numerous examples total freaking zero. Really? Not even a anecdote without a name. |
I'm guessing references to Germany etc were his "clever" way of revealing it. |
Nah, it's him basically comparing the orthokine procedure to steroids. The stretch is laughable and speaks of someone with almost no knowledge of roids (and honestly, that goes for the vast majority of folks). The procedure is also done in the US but if you were to do it as a top shelf athlete, wouldn't you go straight to the doctor that developed the process? Instead, this grade A prick is insinuating as if there is some nefarious motives for going to Germany. Likewise, it's fine with WADA but some out of touch curmudgeon who is selling books is the smoking gun/whistleblower? Stop it George. Retire with dignity. You sure as hell had none as a coach...it's not too late.
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Whatever sympathy he gained during his bout with cancer probably went out the window with all the players he threw under the bus with this book. |
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lakers0505
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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The hits keep coming, he takes a shot at Damian Lilard now. Damian, who he has never coached!!! This is hilarious as a fan... |
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TDRock
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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| lakers0505 wrote: |
The hits keep coming, he takes a shot at Damian Lilard now. Damian, who he has never coached!!! This is hilarious as a fan... |
I saw that. I almost wish there was a general thread on this George Karl shenanigans because even before the steroid thing I died when that other guy was calling him a coward and now he's going after Damien Lillard who doesn't even know. This book sounds desperate, tragic, and hilarious. |
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lakez34
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Karl's always annoyed me, more so now than before. Just always seemed to be in it for himself. |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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| I think last year's stint with the Kings proved that he no longer has the fire to compete anymore as a coach in the NBA. Can't help that the franchise had a coach that checked out and dared the GM to fire him. |
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Telleris
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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| jonnybravo wrote: | | Basketball Fan wrote: | | jonnybravo wrote: | | Karl like so many numbnuts can't help conflating steroids, all peds and orthokine. 30 years and his numerous examples total freaking zero. Really? Not even a anecdote without a name. |
I'm guessing references to Germany etc were his "clever" way of revealing it. |
Nah, it's him basically comparing the orthokine procedure to steroids. The stretch is laughable and speaks of someone with almost no knowledge of roids (and honestly, that goes for the vast majority of folks). The procedure is also done in the US but if you were to do it as a top shelf athlete, wouldn't you go straight to the doctor that developed the process? Instead, this grade A prick is insinuating as if there is some nefarious motives for going to Germany. Likewise, it's fine with WADA but some out of touch curmudgeon who is selling books is the smoking gun/whistleblower? Stop it George. Retire with dignity. You sure as hell had none as a coach...it's not too late. |
Pretty much, people seem to just reference steroids and hgh for everything PED related. If i was in the nba though, I probably would use a couple PED's tbh, but very specific ones that can't be tested for, aren't against the nba's rules (WADA's though), don't have side effects because you know what? I'd want to get paid more money. Steroids though? lol this isn't the 80's anymore.
The soft tissue injury turnaround in the nba though, certainly makes me suspect that one of those is being used.
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