NBA announced in October that center player, Deandre Ayton, violated the league’s no drug policy. This lead to a 25 game suspension from the Suns with no pay. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft and has a great average as a rookie.

Diuretics are banned because they can be used by athletes to lose weight quickly or, in some cases, to mask evidence of them taking another illegal substance. Ayton tested positive for using a diuretic. However, it is apparent that the NBPA is already trying to dismiss this restriction and appeal the suspension based on the belief that he unintentionally ingested the drug. After a statement made to the press, Ayton took full responsibility for his actions.

“I want to apologize to my family, the entire Suns organization, my teammates, partners, our fans and the Phoenix community. This was an unintentional mistake and unfortunately I put something in my body that I was completely unaware of. I do understand the unfortunate impact that this has on so many others, and for that I am deeply sorry. I’m extremely disappointed that I’ve let my team down. I will continue to work with the NBPA to go through arbitration and am hopeful of a positive resolution.

Deandre Ayton

This has struck a major setback for the Suns who were looking to advance further with the help of Ayton. His last game with them got him a game-high of 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and additional 25 on his time on the floor. This 25 game suspension means missing 30% of the basketball season as well as losing about $2 million.

This specific event is a prime example of a form of deviance and over conformity in sport. Athletes will go to any length to improve and become a top skilled athlete. Even though Ayton got a suspension from playing, the consequences could have been worse; he could have been kicked off the team. However, because his actions were viewed as an over conformity, he got of lightly. The use of drugs occurs regularly in high performance sports, with the belief that the drug will make them perform and become better, despite the unfair advantage over other athletes that do not use illegal substances.

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Featured Image: Deandre Ayton scoring career high in Suns’ Loss To Pistons (Source: NBA)