The NBA announced on Wednesday afternoon that Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson will be suspended for five games for violating the leagues anti drug program. The league did not announce specifically what he is suspended for but through some digging around reporters have eliminated HGH as an option considering that comes with a 20 game suspension and narrowed it down to a third violation for marijuana use, according to Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game.
The Hornets and Jefferson released statements on the suspension and they are as follows, from NBA.com.
"We are disappointed in Al's decisions that led to this suspension. As an organization, we do not condone this behavior. We have addressed this with Al. He is regretful and understands that we expect him to learn from this mistake," said the Hornets in a statement.
"I want to apologize to the Hornets organization, our owner, my teammates and my coaches for the poor decision that I made. I know I have let people down, especially the Hornets fans that have been so supportive of me since I arrived in Charlotte two years ago. I am blessed to be able to play the game that I love for a living and I do not take that for granted. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry, and I am committed to making smarter decisions in the future," said Jefferson in a statement.
Jefferson is currently dealing with a calf issue that has cost him the past three games and is expected to keep him out 2-3 weeks so the suspension will begin when he is physically able to return to the court. The 30 year old center will also not be paid for the five games he misses. Jefferson is averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds through 17 games for the 12-8 Hornets.