Every time the gaming season kicks off, we set our tools ready and fuel our passion with the right energy. Right inside the excitement, comes speculations and questions that sometimes burn at the back of the players’ and the fan’s minds.

The question of performance-enhancing drugs or human growth hormones. The Use of HGH in sports and HGH Dosage for athletes of NBA.   

Is it a level playing ground? Is it pure talent and practice or added advantage?

If your career was demanding and at stake, would you do something to save it?

Even if it means just to recover from injuries so that you can bring your A-game to the field?

Sometimes judging and losing faith in our favorite players may be the right thing to do until we look at the reasons behind their use and whether or not we can justify those reasons.

These reasons range from building muscle, recovering from injuries, ensuring a good physique and maybe just being better at the game.

On that note, here is a list of several NBA players who have been caught and punished for using human growth hormone to enhance their performance in the recent past and those who have been judged by just speculations.

23rd April 2018

Were you just getting cozy for the NBA’s? Sometimes if Jodie Meek is your favorite, you don’t start so well.

Jodie Meeks is now out in the cold missing 25 games after getting a suspension. He tested positive for two illegal growth hormones.

The growth hormones are used by most athletes to increase metabolism, boost their appetite, improve at their game and mostly to recover from injuries.

7th Feb 2018

Lebron James became the face of social media speculations concerning his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Verdict? Neither NBA nor Lebron has admitted to it. But, Lebron admitted having used testosterone before for his injuries.

His fans also noticed his hair loss and receding hairline and used this to justify their speculations.

25th March 2017

Joakim Noah had to miss 20 games for testing positive on drug use.

Apparently, he used an over-the-counter drug unknowingly. Since he previously had a knee injury, it is safe to say that he got drugs containing human growth hormone to speed up his recovery and that is how he landed in trouble.

27th Dec 2016

Here is what George Karl had to say about performance-enhancing drugs and NBA

I’m talking about performance-enhancing drugs—like steroids, human growth hormone, and so on. It’s obvious some of our players are doping.

How are some guys getting older—yet thinner and fitter? How are they recovering from injuries so fast? Why the hell are they going to Germany in the off-season?

I doubt it’s for the sauerkraut…

8th July 2016

Gas station energy drink? Is that what we should be trying now to get the most craved HGH benefits?

OJ Mayo blamed his first failed drug test that cost him two years on gas station energy drink. He missed ten games out of NBA in 2011.

Well, this time, he was caught again violating the anti-drug program and kicked out for another two years.

12th Feb 2015

Dwight David Howard had his share of allegations for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Sometimes when you are so good in a very demanding career, people start to dig around and cast aspersions.

Fans think that his muscular physique is too good to be true. Probably he used human growth hormones to recover from his back surgery.

18th April 2014

Nick Calathes faced a suspension and missed 20 games.

He tested positive for using Tamoxifen, a drug taken after using human growth hormone, testosterone, or steroids. Probably he used Tamoxifen to mask HGH.

But… the fact that he moved so fast from being a bad player to a celebrated performer with many rotations almost confirms the speculation.

5th April 2014

When you get so high above your career, you get kicked out.

Larry Sanders had to miss five games after failing a third drug test. Yes, in NBA, even Marijuana is illegal, and for Larry Sanders, he had done it twice before. Remorse?

There is no amount of punishment that could change Larry’s view and loyalty to Marijuana.

6th Dec 2013

Devil’s advocate? It depends on which side you are standing on.

The owner of Dallas Maverick, Mark Cuban offered to fund research on human growth hormone; With good intentions for NBA players.

He wanted to establish if HGH could help NBA players to recover from injuries and also advocated for FDA to approve its use specifically for people in the gaming scene.

13th Feb 2013

Sometimes, a small honest mistake can cost you 20 games…

Hedo Turkoglu was suspended from NBA and missed 20 games after testing positive for human growth hormone. Apparently, he got them for his shoulder injury from turkey and forgot to check it off the NBA banned drugs list.

He was remorseful about it though and wished that he had double-checked. He only wanted to recover quickly.

28th Dec 2012

Based on his physique, weight, injuries, and miraculous comebacks, fans speculated that Dwyane Wade was using steroids and human growth hormone.

13th May 2011

Derrick Rose admitted that NBA players are doping and even gave it a seven on a scale of ten.

20th October 2009

How would you feel if you lost 1.6 million dollars?

Rashard Lewis knows exactly how that feels because other than missing ten games, he also had to lose that amount of money for failing a drug test.

Even though he was apologetic and accepted his punishment, he also tried to play the ignorant card. He said that he took the medication over the summer to recover from a shoulder injury.

15th July 2009

For Karl Malone, his great body for a forty-year-old raised suspicions on his use of human growth hormone.

26th March 2008

Allegations and feelings; how strong are they to your career?

Ivan Rodriguez was accused by Canseco to be using steroids based on the fact that he introduced Rodriguez to a steroid and human growth hormone dealer.

He also based his allegation on feelings after watching him perform very well in the field.

18th Dec 2007

Do you doubt the wide use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes?

Oriole’s Robert admitted having used performance-enhancing drugs. Robert said, ‘’ In 2003, when I took one shot of steroids, I immediately realized that this was not what I stood for or anything that I wanted to continue doing.

I never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing drugs prior to or since that single incident.”

25th January 2006

Chris Anderson was kicked out of NBA for two years for using performance-enhancing drugs.

He tested positive for them. People around him started noticing changes in the way he was and how he played.

These further solidified the allegations. Who knows, his hard swing could have been fueled by HGH after all.

Related Post: The Correct Dosage for Female Athletes

Final Thoughts

Honestly, most of these players considered the benefits of HGH on their bodies and performance and that is why they took them.

Is it okay to say that it is about time NBA looked at its rules and tried to accommodate players? What if HGH was legalized and regulated?

Or should they just keep banning our favorite players even when all they are trying to do is to heal from their injuries in the field and try to improve their grind?

Truth is, human growth hormone seems to be the antidote that most are running to for longevity, healing, and a great physique.

What is your take? Is HGH Dosage for Athletes a necessary ‘evil’?