Don’t have the details yet, but ESPN News is apparently reporting he violated the substance abuse policy. I have no idea what that means (steroids? weed?), but I’m guessing we’ll find out soon enough. Sorry I don’t have a link for you — there’s nothing in Google News just yet.
Update: Here’s an article from ESPN:
The NBA announced Wednesday that Pistons’ point guard Lindsey Hunter has been suspended without pay for 10 games for testing positive for phentermine, a weight loss pill banned by the league.
Hunter scored 20 points, matching his total as a Pistons rookie in Golden State’s 1993 win at the Palace, in Detroit’s 111-93 loss to the Warriors Monday night.
Hunter’s suspension will begin with Wednesday night’s game between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hunter needs help losing weight? My gut reaction is that he obviously didn’t take it on purpose. I guess Flip Murray will be playing against his former ‘mates from Cleveland tonight. And could somebody get Will Blalock on the phone?
(Also, thanks to Larry Brown for the original tip.)
Second Update: I have some more on this up at the FanHouse, including what phentermine actually is and why athletes take it. For what it’s worth, Hunter claims it was an accident:
“I took a diet pill, and it had a banned substance in it,” Hunter said. “I was just as shocked as everybody else.”
Hunter later said that the pill was from a prescription for his wife.
“It was my wife’s prescription, and I took it,” Hunter said. “I guess in our house, we’ve done things like that before. If I had a head cold or something, I’d grab her, whatever. It was a bone-headed mistake by me.”
do you know who the Pistons could use? Chucky Atkins ;-p
This is a bad distraction for the Pistons heading into tonight’s game…
nothing like jumping to conclusions, huh? “he obviously didn’t take it on purpose?”
HUH?
how would you know that?
maybe it helps him keep his appetite down. he is playing at a lean weight the last couple of seasons “by design” at the request of arnie.
Ick. This sucks if this is was intentional. My Lindsey Hunter bobblehead is weeping now.
Allrights: I said it was my gut reaction, and it’s not based on anything but a hunch. The guy just expels so much energy on the court that I have a hard time believing he’s fighting a weight problem. But hell, I have just as much insight into his physiology as you do, maybe I’m wrong.
This is certainly not something I ever expected to happen to Lindsey Hunter. Wikipedia says this drug is an amphetamine that can result in an increased alertness and more energy. That’s all I can gather as to why he would take such a supplement — at least we know he’s not on marijuana or anything…
Apparently it’s not over the counter … which probably shoots the hell out of my “didn’t do it on purpose” argument.
is that it? “increased alertness” and “energy”? that’s what hunter risked a 10-game suspension over? there’s got to be some other benefits. i’ll be pretty disappointed in arnie if this links back to him.
and, i don’t know what the testing process is for the nba, but how does the league think to test a 36 year old back-up point who averages under 5 ppg? someone explain how this works…
What else explains his 20-point game? Steroids…
Makes you wonder.
Lindsey says he took his wifes prescription pill. He doesn’t explain why he took it. Sounds to me like he whatever reason he took the pill he doesn’t want anyone to get the idea that it was to improve performance.
Great. Then why did you take it? That information would be helpful in this case to dispel all misunderstanding, but for some reason Lindsey doesn’t mention WHY HE TOOK THE PILL? did he think it was cold medicine or an allergy pill? he sort of wants us to think that based on his quote… but he doesn’t say why he took a DIET PILL. we understand taking the cold pill analogy, but this is not a cold pill.
dunno. seems suspicious. and I love Hunter.
read somewhere that this pill can be used to mask steriods in tests. can anyone cofirm if that is true?
Lindsey mentions steriods (”i’m not bigger”) and Flip goes out of his way to mention performance enhancement is not the reason he took it.
guilty conscience? I dunno. This one is not looking right to me.
Allrights: I’m guessing the only reason he mentioned ‘roids is because of all the hoopla surrounding MLB (including that recent bust that implicated Gary Matthews of the Angels and *surprise!* John Rocker). I can’t see what Lindsey would have to gain from getting juiced up.
sometimes roids are used for strength and endurance purposes, not just to gain size.
I am not saying he was taking steroids. BUT- he leaves us guessing as to his motive for taking the pill. MY POINT.
The Hunter story is really interesting on a lot of different levels. The story is getting so little publicity on the major sports networks and sites. Probably because there’s so little drama about it - Hunter is coming clean, and there’s no one to provide alternate evidence to refute him.
At least it seems like the NBA has a working substance testing policy… he always seemed like such a nice guy…