NBA: No Apologies For Drug Policy In Light Of Lewis Report

Ask David Stern or Charles Grantham about the NBA's anti-drug program. They agree it is the best in pro sports.

They should. After all, the NBA commissioner and the executive director of the NBA Players Association helped design the plan.

Dirk Minniefield also says the program is a winner. He's worth listening to because he's been through it.

Minniefield played for four NBA teams in the 1980s, including the Boston Celtics. Once his career was over, his life went into a quick downward spiral.

Minniefield left the Celtics after the 1988 season, and by 1990 he was in trouble. Drug use led to writing bad checks, which led to a 15-month prison sentence.

"That was the legal reason. The real reason was drugs, cocaine," Minniefield says.

The humiliation of sitting in a prison in his home state of Kentucky hit Minniefield hard. A Lexington native who became a star at the hometown University of Kentucky, Minniefield's troubles were big news. The time in prison served as a wakeup call.

"Spending time in jail is what really saved me," Minniefield says. "When I was in there, it really hit me what I've accomplished in my life in basketball and it made me think about all the things that had happened since I got out of basketball. That's when I made the choice I wouldn't get high any more."

A week after getting released from prison, Minniefield enrolled at the John Lucas Center in Houston. Today, he works for the NBA in its drug after-care program. He counsels players and tries to prevent young men with million-dollar contracts from throwing it all away.

The NBA's drug policy has come under attack in light of the Reggie Lewis case. Although the policy certainly has its holes, and it remains relatively easy for a casual cocaine or heroin user to escape getting caught, it is the most comprehensive program in pro sports.

The NBA's policy focuses on frequent testing of rookies and counseling for any player who admits to a problem. If the counseling doesn't work, the league will banish players. Four rookies and seven veterans have been suspended for drug use since the program began in 1983.

When asked how many non-rookies were tested in the last year, Stern thought about it for a moment and then said he couldn't divulge that number.

"Our policy is something we worked very hard on with the Players Association," Stern said. "That doesn't mean it's perfect or the best anyplace, but it's the best we know of and we continue to fine-tune it."

Asked how successful the plan is, Stern spoke of a fine line of judgment.

"If the measurement is, do people get thrown out?, then yes, it has been (successful), because we have thrown people out," Stern said. "Or is it a measurement that players can get counseling and move on with their lives? We have players (Dallas Maverick center Roy Tarpley is one) under treatment right now."

That's where ex-players like Minniefield, Cliff Robinson and Purvis Short come in. The NBA has a network of counselors and doctors ready whenever an active player requests help, and it strives to get as many former players as possible involved.

"At the beginning we spent a lot of time focusing on in-patient care," Grantham said. "Over time, you've seen a shift in how drugs in the workplace are handled. Now, people spend a greater amount of time on an out-patient basis and we've worked toward that also."

The emotional center of the network is Lucas, now the coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, who still finds time to help players. After being dumped by the Houston Rockets in 1986 because of a cocaine habit, Lucas began the long road back. He recently celebrated the ninth anniversary of remaining drug-free.

The NBA anti-drug plan states that any player who is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or is found, through drug testing, to have used cocaine or heroin, shall immediately face a "permanent ban" from the league.

In reality, the ban is for a minimum of two years, after which a player can apply to the NBA for reinstatement.

The current rules for drug testing operate differently for rookies and veterans. Unlimited random testing of every player may sound ideal, but it is hardly more realistic for the NBA than for any other workplace.

"I chose not to allow for mandatory random testing for players after their rookie year, and the rationale is universal," Grantham said. "How many volunteers could I get in the workplace that say they want to have mandatory random testing for drugs? That transcends all professions, lawyers, doctors, engineers, writers. There is a rights issue here."

Rookies are clearly the targets of the program, the hope being that solving problems early might save a career. They are all tested once in training camp without warning. Rookies are also subject to random testing three times during the season.

If a rookie fails one of these tests, he is suspended for the rest of the season and ordered to go into counseling.

Since the provision for treating rookies separately went into effect in 1988, four have tested positive. Only Richard Dumas is still in the NBA, and he's just returned from a drug suspension.

"We chose to target rookies with the thinking being to begin them on a drug-free lifestyle," Grantham said.

If a team suspects a veteran is using cocaine or heroin, it supplies its evidence to an independent expert agreed upon by the NBA and the players union. If the expert determines there is "reasonable cause" that the player used, possessed or distributed cocaine or heroin, he will authorize a test. A positive test results in the "permanent ban."

There is also a "three-strike rule" designed to encourage players with problems to seek treatment voluntarily. The first time a player comes forward for help, he can continue being paid. The second time, he is suspended without pay. Any subsequent use of drugs, even if voluntarily disclosed, results in the "permanent ban."

A player who can stay clean during his rookie year will never be tested again unless he raises undue suspicion. Grantham has an answer for critics who see this as a major loophole.

Most NBA players sign guaranteed contracts, meaning they get their millions no matter how well they play, or how often they are injured. They get the money even if they are released.

That security comes with no strings attached. But most big-money players are approached by their clubs, who ask them to agree to have the contracts insured. For clubs to get that insurance, players must pass a drug test.

The Celtics had two insurance policies out on Reggie Lewis, both of which are being paid off now.

"Right now about 80 percent of all contracts are guaranteed and most of those are insured," Grantham said. "So I do tell players you won't have this random testing for veterans, but on the other hand once you sign a guaranteed contract, there's a strong likelihood the insurance company will test you."