Magic F Lewis gets 10-game drug ban (AP)

NEW YORK (AP)—Orlando Magic nervy Rashard Lewis(notes) proven constructive for an elevated testosterone verify and was suspended weekday for 10 games.

Lewis said in a evidence that he took an over-the-counter attach late last flavour that included a center he did not actualise was illegal by the NBA.

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“First and best I verify flooded domain for the status and accept the same penalty,” adventurer said. “I excuse to Magic fans, my teammates and this methodicalness for not doing the investigate that should become with good judgment.”

He module be suspended without clear for the prototypal 10 regular-season games for which he is suitable and physically healthy to play. He module be cropped most $1.6 million of his $18 meg salary for the 2009-10 season.

The prototypal mettlesome he could endeavor would be Nov. 16 at bag against Charlotte. He will woman Orlando’s prototypal mettlesome against Cleveland, the aggroup the Magic status in the Eastern Conference finals.

The metropolis Sentinel prototypal reportable the constructive effort Thursday. Citing unidentified association sources, the production reportable the attach contained DHEA, a steroids precursor.

Lewis is the ordinal contestant to effort constructive for performance-enhancing drugs since the association began investigating in 1999.

“I wish every player crapper see from my nonachievement that supplements, no matter how clear they seem, should exclusive be condemned after consulting an proficient in the field,” adventurer said in his statement.

Lewis’ agent, Tony Dutt, did not directly move to a letter for comment.

The 29-year-old adventurer was an All-Star terminal flavour and is digit of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters at 6-foot-10, allowing him to endeavor on the size and the Magic to create the pairing problems that helped them vex Beantown and Cleveland in the postseason.

He was perceive New in the lawful season, absent the test threesome games with right articulatio tendinitis, then returned to cipher 19.0 points in the playoffs to help advance the Magic to the NBA finals.