Busting the Doping Control Myth That Puts the NBA on the Same Level as the Rest of Us | Relief

There are myths and legends in the world of sports that, after hearing and repeating so many times, we accept as truth. And one of the most famous is the one that has to do with the anti-doping tests that NBA players theoretically do not undergo at the Olympics, unlike the rest of the athletes gathered at the greatest event in the world. sports. .

A legend that began to take shape in 1988, when the American team, then made up of college players, suffered an Olympic defeat at the Seoul Games. A failure that changed the history of sports forever with the birth of the first Dream Team and the inclusion of professional players in the Games at the suggestion of Borislav Stankovic, then FIBA ​​President.

Then came conversations between Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, and David Stern, commissioner of the NBA, which were at first completely incomprehensible. He was concerned about the impact the presence of his stars could have on an event like the Games.

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On April 7, 1989, FIBA ​​held a vote on this difficult issue. By a vote of 56 to 13, it was decided that NBA players would be able to participate in the Olympics. “It is a mistake to think that the NBA wanted to atone for its guilt for the defeat of ’88. We didn’t believe it would become the phenomenon it became. “We told FIBA ​​we weren’t thrilled with the idea, but we would support the vote,” David Stern told GQ in 2012, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the best team in history.

One of the points of inclusion of NBA players was the anti-doping control that these athletes were subjected to. Initially, NBA players were not subject to International Olympic Committee anti-doping testing during the Olympic Games.Instead of undergoing IOC testing, they were subject only to NBA rules.

So part of the myth is true. But is it still true? It is true that the NBA is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s World Anti-Doping Code. It has its own rules, but When these players participate in the Games, they are subject to the rules of the International Basketball Federation, which is a signatory to the world code.“, they say from AMA when Relevo asks about it. Oh well, in that regard, the members of the “Dream Team” are just like the rest of us mortals.

Everything changed before the Athens Games in 2004. The NBA has reached an agreement with the IOC that its players will be subject to the same anti-doping tests as other Olympic athletes.This decision was made in order to bring the NBA’s policies into line with international anti-doping standards and ensure the integrity of competition.

A decision that has caused various reactions against it, for example from the Players Association, as its spokesman Dan Wasserman stated at the time: “We are not satisfied with the announced policy,” Wasserman said at the time.We are concerned that this goes beyond the scope of the reviews provided for in the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

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Despite protests from some players, the measure was passed, leveling the playing field as much as possible. At least before they jump on the court, because when the ball is in play, LeBron, Curry, Durant and Davis are, on paper, superior to their opponents.

But firstly, they are just like everyone else and can be called up for anti-doping testing at any time, as happened to Evan Fournier a few weeks ago: “Today at 5:55 am anti-doping control. During the hardest week of the training camp. Show more respect to your athletes.” At least they do everything by the same rules.