Hawks forward John Collins suspended 25 games for violating NBA's anti-doping policy
Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins has been suspended 25 games after violating the NBA’s anti-doping policy, the league announced Tuesday.
Collins, 22, tested positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2, according to the NBA’s release. In five games, Collins is averaging 17 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Collins released a statement apologizing to his teammates. In the statement, Collins says he did not willingly ingest the banned supplement and is planning to appeal his suspension.
Collins statement to ESPN: "First I want to apologize to my teammates, the Hawks organization, our fans, partners and community as a whole for this situation. I understand the impact this matter has on what we are trying to achieve together this season, and I am incredibly ..."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 5, 2019
"...frustrated and disappointed in myself for putting all us in this position. I have always been incredibly careful about what I put in my body, but I took a supplement, which unbeknownst to me, had been contaminated with an illegal component. I plan to appeal my suspension..." https://t.co/DaNjSEgRrr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 5, 2019
Collins was the team’s first-round draft pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
After starting the season 2-0, the Hawks have dropped their last three games to fall to 2-3.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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