Orlando Magic star Hedo Turkoglu has been banned for 20 games after violating the NBA's anti-drug regulations.
The forward, who tested positive for the anabolic steroid methenolone, will begin his suspension immediately.
Turkoglu has averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11 games this season for the Magic and has career averages of 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The 33-year-old Turk issued a statement explaining that he did not take the substance to enhance his performance on the court but to manage a shoulder injury.
"I just want people to know that I never took any kind of pills or drugs to be an athlete to perform better," he told the team's website. "I never used substances in my life.
"I never did it [before], but I was going through a shoulder injury and at that time I was just trying to take care of that. It was summer time, I used it for a short period of time and that was it."
Magic general manager Rob Hennigan responded by acknowledging that Turkoglu made an honest mistake but pointed out that the situation provides a "good lesson" for his teammates.
Mark Langshaw
