Philadelphia 76ers’s Paul George handed 25-game NBA suspension

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has been suspended for 25 games after violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Policy, the league confirmed on Saturday.

The NBA has not released information on the violation or the substance. The prohibition is regarded as a first offence according to the accord between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

There is a strong financial cost to the suspension, as George will lose an estimated 11.7 million of his 51.7 million salary, or about 469,692 games missed. George can come back on 25 March 2026, when the 76ers will play the Chicago Bulls.

By this time, Philadelphia will only be left with ten regular-season games. The 33-year-old has played 27 games in this season with an average of 16 points per game. He is third in the team score, following Tyrese Maxey (29.4 points) and Joel Embiid (25.7 points).

George produced one of the best performances of the season a few days ago when he poured in 32 points, and nine of those were three-pointers, to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. His absence is a big challenge to the 76ers which are making the push towards good playoff placement in the Eastern Conference.

George will be on the sidelines, and Philadelphia will have to be even more reliant on its remaining core in order to keep the momentum.

The focus will now be on how the 76ers will adapt in this crucial time, and fans and analysts will be more than keen on whether the team can be competitive without one of its main contributors.