Suspended Magic F Hedo Turkoglu claims he used PEDs only for recovery and pain management

On the day he was suspended by the NBA for 20 games due to testing positive for a banned substance, Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu addressed the media Wednesday and said that he used the drug to help recover from a shoulder injury and relieve pain.

Turkoglu, 33, tested positive for the anabolic steroid methenolone. He said he took it in his home country of Turkey during the offseason and failed the drug test in December. He was notified of the test results last week.

“As a player, this is the worst situation that you want to be in,” Turkoglu said. “I’m just sorry to put the organization in this situation. … I should have double-checked and researched and shouldn’t be in this situation.”

Turkoglu, who fractured his hand in the season-opener, has played just 11 games this season, averaging 2.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17.2 minutes. He missed the last three games with flu-like symptoms and a sore back.

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