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[nickagneta]

I am honestly extremely surprised at the amount of people in this thread, that I consider very bright and intelligent people, who think just modern medicine and modern dietary and training techniques are the reason we see super cut and muscular NBA players on just about every NBA team.
 
PED use is rampant in all major professional sports and also "amateur" sports like track and field and Olympic events.
 
The NBA has one of the least stringent PED tests in professional sports anywhere in the world.

The NBA definitely has lots of people on PEDs, many stars included. It's just not going to become an issue because people don't want it to be one. But once the International Anti Doping Agency starts making a bigger and bigger stink about some of the PED testing in American sports, it will become an issue and I think we will see a change in the looks of some players and the quickness with which they return from injury.

[D.o.s.]

So. Tim Duncan. He's 36. Kinda amazing what he's doing, isn't it?

It is.  Although, he is also a guy who uses his skills more than athleticism at this point.

But your point is well taken.  I agree that HGH (or whatever the drug of choice) is extending careers that used to be over much earlier.  But I also think the lack of fundamentals has counteracted that a lot, which is why I don't really agree that the league has more talent than it has in the past.

Because advancements in the understanding and science of sports medicine and nutrition have nothing to do with that.


I don't buy the conspiracy theory, and I love the way my tinfoil hat fits.

[LarBrd33]

I am honestly extremely surprised at the amount of people in this thread, that I consider very bright and intelligent people, who think just modern medicine and modern dietary and training techniques are the reason we see super cut and muscular NBA players on just about every NBA team.
 
PED use is rampant in all major professional sports and also "amateur" sports like track and field and Olympic events.
 
The NBA has one of the least stringent PED tests in professional sports anywhere in the world.

The NBA definitely has lots of people on PEDs, many stars included. It's just not going to become an issue because people don't want it to be one. But once the International Anti Doping Agency starts making a bigger and bigger stink about some of the PED testing in American sports, it will become an issue and I think we will see a change in the looks of some players and the quickness with which they return from injury.

If it's true, i hope the crackdown on PEDs happens after KG retires.  The guy is beasting for us at his age... still our most valuable player.  Without the big man, we aren't going anywhere in the playoffs this year.

[Chris]

So. Tim Duncan. He's 36. Kinda amazing what he's doing, isn't it?

It is.  Although, he is also a guy who uses his skills more than athleticism at this point.

But your point is well taken.  I agree that HGH (or whatever the drug of choice) is extending careers that used to be over much earlier.  But I also think the lack of fundamentals has counteracted that a lot, which is why I don't really agree that the league has more talent than it has in the past.

Because advancements in the understanding and science of sports medicine and nutrition have nothing to do with that.


I don't buy the conspiracy theory, and I love the way my tinfoil hat fits.

I don't even consider it a conspiracy theory.  I think of it as common sense.

They don't test for HGH.  There is not much evidence (at least so far) that HGH is actually bad for you.  HGH helps you recover from injuries faster, and can possibly make you stronger and faster (that part I have seen disputed).  Why wouldn't these guys be taking it?

[nickagneta]

So. Tim Duncan. He's 36. Kinda amazing what he's doing, isn't it?

It is.  Although, he is also a guy who uses his skills more than athleticism at this point.

But your point is well taken.  I agree that HGH (or whatever the drug of choice) is extending careers that used to be over much earlier.  But I also think the lack of fundamentals has counteracted that a lot, which is why I don't really agree that the league has more talent than it has in the past.

Because advancements in the understanding and science of sports medicine and nutrition have nothing to do with that.


I don't buy the conspiracy theory, and I love the way my tinfoil hat fits.

I don't even consider it a conspiracy theory.  I think of it as common sense.

They don't test for HGH.  There is not much evidence (at least so far) that HGH is actually bad for you.  HGH helps you recover from injuries faster, and can possibly make you stronger and faster (that part I have seen disputed).  Why wouldn't these guys be taking it?

TP...Exactly. If I have millions riding on my body and I know I can invest a few thousand a year on HGH and I know the league doesn't test for HGH, it makes no sense not to be taking it.

[D.o.s.]

So. Tim Duncan. He's 36. Kinda amazing what he's doing, isn't it?

It is.  Although, he is also a guy who uses his skills more than athleticism at this point.

But your point is well taken.  I agree that HGH (or whatever the drug of choice) is extending careers that used to be over much earlier.  But I also think the lack of fundamentals has counteracted that a lot, which is why I don't really agree that the league has more talent than it has in the past.

Because advancements in the understanding and science of sports medicine and nutrition have nothing to do with that.


I don't buy the conspiracy theory, and I love the way my tinfoil hat fits.

I don't even consider it a conspiracy theory.  I think of it as common sense.

They don't test for HGH.  There is not much evidence (at least so far) that HGH is actually bad for you.  HGH helps you recover from injuries faster, and can possibly make you stronger and faster (that part I have seen disputed).  Why wouldn't these guys be taking it?

I don't think you can place the extended career boom on just taking HGH. That's my bone of contention.

[Chris]

So. Tim Duncan. He's 36. Kinda amazing what he's doing, isn't it?

It is.  Although, he is also a guy who uses his skills more than athleticism at this point.

But your point is well taken.  I agree that HGH (or whatever the drug of choice) is extending careers that used to be over much earlier.  But I also think the lack of fundamentals has counteracted that a lot, which is why I don't really agree that the league has more talent than it has in the past.

Because advancements in the understanding and science of sports medicine and nutrition have nothing to do with that.


I don't buy the conspiracy theory, and I love the way my tinfoil hat fits.

I don't even consider it a conspiracy theory.  I think of it as common sense.

They don't test for HGH.  There is not much evidence (at least so far) that HGH is actually bad for you.  HGH helps you recover from injuries faster, and can possibly make you stronger and faster (that part I have seen disputed).  Why wouldn't these guys be taking it?

I don't think you can place the extended career boom on just taking HGH. That's my bone of contention.

That's fine.  I agree with you.  I was just throwing the OP a bone on that.  I think it at least has something to do with it.  But there are certainly other factors.

Still though, my main contention here is that the increased  athleticism we are seeing is not necessarily translating into more or better basketball players. 

[nickagneta]

I do believe though that the quickness that athletes return from massive injuries and the former strength they recover is probably directly related to HGH use.

Kobe went overseas for "platelet replacement therapy"? Really? Yeah and Tiger Woods got the same therapy on his knee too.

Massive triple knee ligament damage is now less than a year return from injury and when these players return they come back as strong and dynamic as ever? I don't buy it.

Does that throw someone like KG or Tony Allen or some other former C's in with the rest of them? Yup it does.

[Greenbean]

Every negative aspect of Magic's return to the NBA has been erased from the official history of the NBA but thankfully not from our memories...

Yes Buff Johnson will live on in our memories but will never be mentioned on broadcast television.

It's funny.

[Greenbean]

While I acknowledge that PED's are likely widely used in all 4 major sports, I love the fact that basketball is one of the sports where PED's cannot give an ahtlete a significant edge.

If running fast and jumping high were the only prerequisites for BBall success, Gerald Green would be a Hall of Famer.

Why do you think it is so tough to beat all those old guys at the YMCA who dont miss jump shots and play pesky defense.

Why is it that athletic teams that have no veteran peresence wind up in the lottery of the NBA?

The NBA has escaped alto of criticism for PED use because the integrity of the game is not compromised as much as some other sports.

[eja117]

While I acknowledge that PED's are likely widely used in all 4 major sports, I love the fact that basketball is one of the sports where PED's cannot give an ahtlete a significant edge.

If running fast and jumping high were the only prerequisites for BBall success, Gerald Green would be a Hall of Famer.

Why do you think it is so tough to beat all those old guys at the YMCA who dont miss jump shots and play pesky defense.

Why is it that athletic teams that have no veteran peresence wind up in the lottery of the NBA?

The NBA has escaped alto of criticism for PED use because the integrity of the game is not compromised as much as some other sports.

Last year's finals featured a team with guys in their upper 20s vs a team with guys in their lower 20s. 

Teams with no vet presence are usually teams of guys that need to "bulk up".

[eja117]

So uh Jerry Stackhouse. He's 38. He played 20 mins tonight. A bunch of young and jacked guys are injured. Right D Wade? Right Bynum?  Kind of a strange year we're having

[eja117]

Wow. Jason Kidd. 39 years old shooting 57%. Grizzled vet right there. They're managing his minutes only giving him 22 mins per night. Do you think him, Sheed (38), Camby (38), and Kurt Thomas (40) all get their nutrition together at the early bird special and get a groupon discount at the local geriatric exercise clinic? I mean since guys are staying in the league longer now due to advancements in nutrition and stuff?

[CelticG1]

Yeah there is no doubt innky mind that hgh and to a lesser extent steroids are widely used in the NBA.

Kind of surprised this doesn't get brought up ever in the media.

Wonder how long they can turn a blind eye to it.

Right now its kind of out of sight out of mind but it still sucks knowing that they don't consider it an issue. I'm sure Stern would just blame it on some rogue steroid user anyway and just sweep it under the rug

[TripleOT]

If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.

When star players can get $60+ million contracts, and journeymen types can snag MLE deals worth $30m or more, the incentive is certainly there to use PEDs.

I'm totally convinced that LeBron used HGH, just as I'm convinced that Michael Jordan, who was skinny with a full head of hair when he won a gold medal in 1984, and muscular and bald four years later, used steroids.  He came out of a college rife with steroid users, especially in the football program, in an era when college athletic departments were chemistry labs.

The "OTC supplement" excuse for guys who get caught doesn't was with me either.  Since Rashard Lewis got caught, his career nosedived. 

I don't care if pro athletes use PEDs.  I like to watch sports and athletes who can perform at the highest level possible.  I do care if they use them and lie about it.  Baseball was a better game when over-muscled comic book characters were slamming home runs at a wild pace.