paul george what drug did he take

Paul George NBA Suspension Update Paul George, the Philadelphia 76ers star forward, was suspended for 25 games without pay by the NBA on January 31, 2026, for violating the league's anti-drug program. In his statement to ESPN, George admitted to taking an "improper medication" while seeking treatment for a personal mental health issue, emphasizing he's taking full responsibility and won't appeal. He apologized to his team, organization, and Philly fans, vowing to return stronger after using the time to optimize his mind and body.

Official Details

• Suspension Length : 25 games (first offense under NBA rules), starting with the January 31 game vs. New Orleans Pelicans; he's eligible to return March 25 vs. Chicago Bulls.

• Financial Hit : Roughly $11.7 million lost from his $51.7 million salary (~$469K per game).

• Team Impact : 76ers were 26-21 at the time; George averaged 16 points in 27 games, going 16-11 with him vs. 10-10 without.

• No specific drug named publicly by NBA or George, citing privacy like HIPAA; he framed it as a mental health treatment mistake.

Forum Buzz and Speculation

NBA fans on Reddit lit up after the news, speculating wildly since George linked it to mental health—ruling out obvious PEDs or weed (lenient now).

• Top Guesses : Antidepressants like Lexapro or Zoloft (264+ upvotes for Lexapro shade); Adderall for focus/anxiety (86 votes); Ketamine for depression (quick-acting, now prescribable online/clinics, 244+ mentions).

• Skepticism : Some call it PR spin—"admitting a needed Rx mistake, not doping"—praising his no-excuses accountability vs. past denials; others want full transparency.

• Backstory Clip : A 2025 video resurfaced of George casually saying "drugs help recovery," fueling memes but unrelated to this.

"It's a shame to see Lexapro potentially undermining the essence of our beloved sport. 💔" – Reddit user SomeAntha90 (264 votes)

Trending Context

This blew up amid PG's solid season (recent 32-pt game vs. Bucks) and his past mental health advocacy, making the "poor judgment" line raw for fans. Philly's playoff push now hinges on Embiid/Maxey without him for ~2 months—76ers drop to 7th in East projections. No prior flags in his career; first big anti-drug ban since years ago.

TL;DR : No confirmed drug named—George owns "improper medication" for mental health; NBA slaps 25-game ban. Forums bet on SSRIs/Ketamine/Adderall. Story still developing as of Feb 1, 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.