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In 2018, D.J. Cooper shocked the entire basketball world when FIBA handed out a two-year punishment against him for failing a drug test. The result of the test stunningly revealed that he was pregnant.
The former Ohio basketball star needed to pass a doping test to play for the Bosnian national team as a naturalized player. To the astonishment of the medical team, his urine reportedly had traces of gHC, a hormone that women usually produce during pregnancy.
FIBA investigated and eventually found out that Cooper used a urine sample from his girlfriend, who apparently didn’t know she was pregnant. The governing body didn’t hesitate to punish him, suspending him for two years for committing fraud.
Cooper was only eligible to play again on June 20, 2020.
D.J. Cooper wanted to become a Bosnian citizen in 2014. The country named him to its national basketball team that was scheduled to compete in the 2015 EuroBasket qualifiers. However, Cooper suddenly left his teammates to attend to a family emergency.
The former Bobcat was playing for AS Monaco when he failed the doping test. He returned in 2020 to play for Elan Chalon and then Dorados de Chihuahua. Cooper played next for Dnipro before moving to Ironi Ness Ziona.
Like D.J. Cooper, a few NBA players have failed drug tests in the past
D.J. Cooper isn’t the only basketball player to fail a drug test. The NBA has had its share of players who have failed tests as well.
Former Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins was suspended for 25 games in 2019. His tests showed traces of a banned substance under the league’s steroids and performance-enhancing drugs rule.
Collins had peptide-2, a growth hormone that’s reportedly used by some athletes to gain muscles in a relatively short time. $610,000 was the total amount Collins lost due to the suspension. Considering he only had a $2.7 million salary back then, the fine was a big setback for him.
Deandre Ayton was suspended for 25 games in the same year Collins committed his violation. Ayton forfeited $2.1 million due to his suspension.
The Phoenix Suns center’s test showed a diuretic, which is used to hide test results. NBA players with the said substance are considered guilty of taking steroids or performance-enhancing drugs.
Ayton and Collins’ results, however, paled in comparison to the shock that came from Cooper’s tests.
Also read: 5 players who tested positive under NBA drug violations code
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
