A History of NBA Players That Were Banned Due to Drug Abuse (original) (raw)

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On this day in 1991 Roy Tarpley was banned by the NBA for substance abuse. The would-be star lost three years of his promising career because of drugs. With rumors running rampant about Lamar Odom and his career subsequently being near its end, we revisit guys that were suspended for drug use.

Whether it be for amphetamines like Stanley Roberts or for cocaine like Lewis Lloyd, most of the players on this list had potential. Instead, they let outside factors get in the way of millions of dollars and NBA stardom. Would Chris Washburn have lived up to the hype of his NC State days if it weren't for his cocaine addiction? Could Michael Ray Richardson have reached Bernard King status in the Big Apple if the city's party lifestyle didn't get the best of him? From John Drew to Chris "Birdman" Andersen, here is a History of NBA Players That Were Banned Due to Drug Abuse.

Year banned: 1986 for cocaine use
Stats: 739 G, 20.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.4 SPG
Accolades: 2x NBA All-Star, 1975 NBA All-Rookie First Team
Team(s): Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz

John Drew had a tremendous rookie season, averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Hawks and making the All-Rookie team. His entire career in Atlanta was spectacular, as he finished with averages of 21.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over his eight seasons there. However, after being traded to the Utah Jazz for Dominique Wilkins prior to the 1982-83 season, Drew's demons—specifically his cocaine addiction—took hold of his career and quickly brought down the talented swingman. He spent the latter part of the 1983 season in rehab, relapsed in 1985, and was banned for life in 1986, becoming the first player to fall victim to David Stern's new anti-drug policy.

Year banned: 1986 for cocaine use
Stats: 556 G, 14.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.6 SPG
Accolades: 4x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA All-Defensive First Team
Team(s): New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets

In the early 1980s, Micheal Ray Richardson looked like one of the league's emerging stars. He made four All-Star teams in a six-year period, and was also considered one of the preeminent perimeter defenders in the NBA. Despite all these personal accolades, Richardson also had a nasty drug habit, which landed him in hot water with commissioner David Stern and his anti-drug program. In February of 1986, Richardson tested positive for cocaine a third time, and was subsequently banned for life from the NBA. Fortunately, despite not being able to play in the States, he cleaned himself up and enjoyed a lengthy, successful career in Europe playing up until 2002.

Year banned: 1987 for cocaine use
Stats: 388 G, 13.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG
Accolades: None
Team(s): Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks

A swingman who could score in bunches, Lewis Lloyd blossomed as a member of the Houston Rockets after two forgettable years with the Golden State Warriors. He played in every single game his first three seasons there, averaging 15.9 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field. He also liked to live large, and early in the 1986-87 season, lifestyle finally caught up with him. Lloyd was suspended for two and a half years due to his cocaine use, and only played a total of 21 games after he was reinstated for the 1989-90 season.

Year banned: 1987 for cocaine use
Stats: 389 G, 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Accolades: None
Team(s): Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers

Mitchell Wiggins was an important role player on those great Rockets teams of the '80s. He was also best buds with Lewis Lloyd, the starting guard Wiggins' played backup to. Both players partied with each other and they partied hard. A season after losing in the 1986 Finals to the Boston Celtics, they both failed drug tests in January of 1987 and were banned for life. However, Wiggins was reinstated in July of 1989. He managed to have his best season as a pro, averaging 15 points a game. He then failed another test and missed the 1991 season but was reinstated in 1992, playing in 49 games. After bouncing around on the other side of the globe in various pro leagues he looks to teach his son Andrew Wiggins the mistakes he has made.

Year banned: 1988 for cocaine use
Stats: 19 G, 2.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
Accolades: None
Team(s): New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers

The older brother of Derek Fisher, Washington didn't last long. He was drafted by the Bullets but was quickly waived. After signing a couple 10-day contracts with the Nets, he was suspended two years for substance abuse after only 15 games. Robinson played in the CBA and USBL for a bit and returned to the league as a member of the Clippers in '93. After four games he was waived and finished his career out in Europe. He recently popped back up on the radar when he was busted for leaving the scene of an accident in which a 70-year-old woman was hit. SMH.

Year banned: 1989 for cocaine use
Stats: 72 G, 3.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: None
Team(s): Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks

A center with uncommon touch around the hoop for someone his size, Chris Washburn was supposed to be a star. His troubles in college (i.e. stealing a stereo), though, were but a harbinger of things to come once he joined the professional ranks. Despite the red flags, the Warriors made him the No. 3 pick in the 1986 Draft and hoped the big man would provide an anchor in the middle to complement their top pick in 1985, Chris Mullin. Washburn was a complete bust, posting just one double-double as a rookie and spending two months in rehab for a cocaine problem. He was out of the league after a horrendous 1987-88 campaign, and in 1989 received a lifetime ban during a comeback attempt after failing his third drug test in as many years.

Year banned: 1991, 1995 for cocaine and alcohol use
Stats: 280 G, 12.6 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Accolades: 1987 NBA All-Rookie Team, 1988 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
Team(s): Dallas Mavericks

A star at Michigan before being drafted with the No. 7 pick by the Mavericks in the 1986 NBA Draft, Roy Tarpley had all the appearances of a star forward in the NBA. However, he also had an unfortunate problem wherein he liked to drink and drive, and by his fourth NBA season this got him into quite a bit of trouble. After his first DWI arrest in late 1989, he got popped twice in quick succession in 1991. Since smaller suspensions had seemingly no impact, the NBA decided to ban Tarpley indefinitely. He was allowed to return in 1994 with a zero-tolerance policy, and summarily received his lifetime walking papers when he was caught drinking in December of 1995.

Year banned: 1991, 1993, 1995 for cocaine use
Stats: 102 G, 10.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG
Accolades: 1993 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
Team(s): Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers

Richard Dumas certainly had the talent to be a successful NBA player, but he never even saw the floor in what was supposed to be his rookie season (1991-92) thanks to a suspension for drug abuse. When he finally debuted in December of 1992 for the Phoenix Suns, he was spectacular; he made the All-Rookie second team and had a memorable 25-point outburst in Game 5 of the 1993 Finals that kept his team alive against Michael Jordan's Bulls. Within three months of the Finals, though, Dumas was back in rehab, only returning briefly in 1995 and 1996 before retiring at the age of 26.

Earlier this year, Dumas blamed his cocaine addiction on Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign. Yes, you read that correctly.

Year banned: 1999 for amphetamines use
Stats: 300 G, 8.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG
Accolades: 1992 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
Team(s): Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers

Roberts became the first player to be banned under the NBA's revamped anti-drug policy that included PEDs along side illegal drug in 1999. He tested positive for high levels of amphetamines. Roberts later said it was ecstasy that caused the postive test. Roberts was always one of those guys that never was able to reach their potential. His size was always a threat in the paint as he blocked 1.3 shots during his time in the L, even with an injury plagued career. But his weight always gave him trouble. He took his talents overseas for a couple years and returned to the NBA as a member of the Raptors in 2003. He was eventually waived and retired for good.

Year banned: 2006 for amphetamine use
Stats: 524 G, 5.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA Champion (2012-13)
Team(s): Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Hornets, Miami Heat

The Birdman was suspended for two years after testing positve for a banned substance in 2006. This after being the first player to be ever called up from the D-League. He was having a decent year with the Hornets in terms of defense when his test came up dirty. Andersen tried to appeal but the arbitrator sided with the NBA. He has since returned and his career has been solidified with a ring. Andersen also had to deal with a crazy "catfish" situation recently that almost got him in trouble with the law. He's looking to help the Heat win another one this upcoming season.