NBA ‘Very Focused’ on HGH Testing

Deputy commissioner Adam Silver says the NBA is taking Human Growth Hormone testing very seriously, though he cautions that the League isn’t aware of any PED involvement by NBA players. Per the NY Post: “One of the changes that we know we’ll be making to our current drug testing is the addition of HGH testing, which requires taking blood from the players,’ NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said last week. ‘We want to make sure, on behalf of our players, as well, that’s it’s done in the proper way, and that we understand what are the appropriate baselines for a natural substance, like HGH, so we can detect where there are aberrations. That is something we’re very focused on.’ Silver said while the NBA has been monitoring the Biogenesis case as it has developed over the past several months, the league isn’t aware of any involvement of its players with the clinic, contrary to a recent report. ‘We’ve been actively working to understand the situation and to the extent possible to learn what is being uncovered by MLB’s investigation,’ Silver said. ‘We are not aware of any involvement by NBA players.’ While the NBA is still in the process of implementing HGH testing, virtually all of its star players, including local headliners Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams, have been subjected to Olympic-level testing — the most thorough testing program available — as part of their participation in international competition. The NBA has the same three-strikes penalty structure as MLB, with a 20-game suspension for a first PED offense, followed by 45 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third. All players are subject to six random tests each year — four during the season, and two during the offseason. Although the implementation of HGH testing is something that likely won’t be completed until the NBA Players Association has hired a new executive director — something it’s currently in the process of doing it — Silver said he has heard nothing but agreement from the players on the need to ensure fairness for all.”