Hedo Turkoglu Says He Took Steroid By Accident

Following the announcement of Hedo Turkoglu’s 20-game suspension, the Orlando Magic forward released a statement along with his team, in which they claimed that Turkoglu accidentally ingested methenolone, the banned substance for which he was suspended. Per the Orlando Sentinel: “‘While I was back home in Turkey this past summer, I was given a medication by my trainer to help recover more quickly from a shoulder injury,’ Turkoglu said in the statement. ‘I didn’t know that this was a banned substance and didn’t check before taking it. I take full responsibility for anything that goes into my body. This was a complete error in judgment on my part and I apologize to the Orlando Magic organization, the league, my teammates, and the Magic fans. I know I have let down a lot of people and I am truly sorry for my mistake.’ Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan said: ‘Hedo unknowingly took a banned substance. There are more than 125 banned substances on the NBA List, and we spend a lot of time educating our players on the contents of that list and will certainly continue to do so moving forward. We believe this was an honest mistake.’ Turkoglu has missed most of the season because he fractured his left hand on the season-opener. He also has missed the team’s last three games. At the time, team officials said Turkoglu missed the first two games because he had flu-like symptoms and missed the last game — Sunday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers — because he had a sore back.”