Report: Joakim Noah suspended 20 games for violation of NBA’s anti-drug policy
A bad season just got worse for New York Knicks big man Joakim Noah.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports on Friday that Noah has been suspended for 20 games due to a violation of the NBA’s anti-drug policy. The former Defensive Player of the Year is said to have tested positive for a banned over-the-counter supplement.
Noah, 32, was averaging 5.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game this season, the first of a four-year, $72.5 million deal he signed with the Knicks over the summer. He hasn’t played since February 4 due to various injuries and an arthroscopic left knee surgery he underwent on February 27 was expected to end his season.
But Wojnarowski adds that Noah recently began running and conditioning again and is expected to serve 10 games of the suspension to finish out this season (the Knicks have exactly 10 remaining) and 10 games to start the 2017-18 season. That’s news that won’t bode well for Noah’s chances of keeping his starting spot next year, something he already seemed to be losing his grip on.
