In a statement released through ESPN, the 35-year-old George said he “mistakenly took improper medication” while addressing mental health issues and accepts full responsibility. The league did not specify the substance involved, but under the NBA/NBPA collective bargaining agreement, a 25-game ban indicates a first offense.
George, who signed a four-year, $212 million contract with Philadelphia in 2024, is averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 27 games this season amid injury setbacks. He recently scored 32 points, including nine 3-pointers, in a win over Milwaukee. The 76ers sit sixth in the Eastern Conference at 26-21.
The announcement, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on X, formerly Twitter, triggered a flood of reactions on social media, blending shock, humor and criticism.
Whatever Paul George was taking he needs to ask for a refund because that sh*t wasn’t working pic.twitter.com/expFLfbbe2
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) January 31, 2026
User @HaterReport quipped, “Paul George suspended 25 games for violating the NBA drug policy. Bro was using performance enhancing drugs and was still terrible 😭😭😭,” garnering over 162 likes. The same account later posted George’s season stats: “27 Games Played, 20 Games Missed, 25 Games Suspended,” with the caption “Where’s Paul doe?”
Paul George's statement on his 25-game suspension, via @ShamsCharania:
"Over the past few years, I’ve discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication. I take…
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 31, 2026
Replies to Charania’s post included @CutterEasy’s comment: “Using drugs and still being ass shouldn’t worn a suspension,” which received more than 1,670 likes. User @lakeshowdio shared a meme of George airballing a shot, writing “On PED’s and he still played like this 😭,” amassing over 1,263 likes.
Other users dubbed him “PED P” or “Prescription P,” with @APH00PS exclaiming, “PRO WAS ON PEDS I KNEW THAT RUN WAS FAKE,” liked over 1,039 times. @whristan1 added, “Buddy was using performance enhancers and still sucked 😭,” drawing 410 likes.
Some expressed disbelief, like @SixersJustin: “are we fucking serious,” with 388 likes. Others called for testing other stars, such as @savell_walvion: “Get LeBron Too lmao PED ass n*gga😂😂😂,” liked 313 times.
