Charles Barkley has his third eye open regarding Paul George’s 25-game suspension.
The 76ers wing has been suspended for 25 games following a violation of the NBA’s anti-drug program, and Barkley — a former Sixer and one of sports media’s most distinct voices — discussed the matter on Saturday’s edition of “Inside the NBA” on ESPN, where the network had been broadcasting the pre-game show for the Mavericks-Rockets game.
“It’s something fishy going on here,” Barkley said. “I don’t joke around about mental health. If you’re taking something for mental health, that’s got to be an outlier to the NBA. If you’re taking something for mental health, even if it’s on a list, you should get a hall pass.”
George acknowledged in a statement that he was complicit in his adverse finding, not denying his role in testing positive for a banned substance.
“Over the past few years, I’ve discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication,” George said in the statement.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the Philly fans for my poor decision making during this process,” he continued.
George added, “I am focused on using this time to make sure that my mind and body are in the best condition to help the team when I return.”
The 76ers, who are 27-21 on the season, are in the thick of the Eastern Conference, now in sixth place.
They’ve gotten decent production out of George this season, who is averaging 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game across 27 games — all starts.
Though his output has dipped slightly across the board, the team has made a leap because of the infusion of No. 3 overall draft pick VJ Edgecombe, along with Joel Embiid’s improved health and Tyrese Maxey’s All-NBA level play.
George is also shooting 38.2 percent from downtown, a considerable jump from knocking down 35.8 percent from deep in his first season with the 76ers.
George, in his 16th season, turns 36 in May.
