On Friday, July 1, 2016, OJ Mayo was “dismissed and disqualified from the NBA for
violating the terms of the league's anti-drug program.” League rules stipulate
that no other information may be released publicly about the Anti Drug Program including the drugs
used that caused the dismissal. Mayo will be eligible for reinstatement for the
2019-20 NBA season. Sadly, this is not new for Mayo. In 2011 he was
suspended for 10 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Mayo was drafted 3rd in the 1st round
of the 2008 NBA draft. Later that evening he was traded to the Memphis
Grizzlies. He played in the NBA for 8 seasons for the Grizzlies, Mavericks and
the Bucks. In 2008 he was the runner up for rookie of the year. Derrick Rose of
the Chicago Bulls (now New York Knicks) won it that year. Here are the
highlights of Mayo playing against the Chicago Bulls in the 1st
round of the 2015 Eastern conference playoffs. The Bulls were up 3-0 in the series.
Mayo showed up and showed out!
Friday
was also the start of free agency and as we have seen it was very lucrative for
many players. Mediocre players and players most people have never heard of did
very well in this free agency. Mayo may have easily missed out on potentially the
biggest pay day of his career. It is not impossible to conceive that Mayo could
make a successful return to the NBA in 2 years. According to USA Today they
state that a player may return to the NBA upon successful completion of a drug
rehab program.
"The
circumstances surrounding the player’s dismissal and disqualification; whether
the player has satisfactorily completed a treatment and rehabilitation program;
the player’s conduct since his dismissal, including the extent to which the
player has since comported himself as a suitable role model for youth; and
whether the player is judged to possess the requisite qualities of good
character and morality.” Via USA Today
We
saw Chris “Birdman” Anderson successfully rebound back into the NBA after his
2-year dismissal, so returning is not an impossible thought for the 28-year old
Mayo. A completely healthy Mayo may have at least 5 years left in him at that
point. If Mayo hired my firm to assist him during this time, I would advise him
to enter a drug facility and focus on that for one year. I would encourage him
to enter a facility for 6 months and for the next 6 months continue on an out-patient
basis. During the 2nd year of his dismissal, I would advise him to
get a chef and a trainer. This will help him with his diet and NBA training. He
would give lectures at colleges and universities on the dangers of drugs and
how it may have cost him a very lucrative career. My firm would set him up with
television and radio interviews so he can show coaches and other players that
he is successfully recovering. We would incorporate social media to show his
daily workout regime. I would advise him to mentally prepare for the fact that
it may be over for him as a player in the NBA and offer him other options such
as coaching at the collegiate level, becoming an analyst for a sports network,
or working in the NBA office lecturing to players about the hazards of drugs.
Having a Plan B is not setting him for failure, but setting him up for success.
Unexpected disappointment could be a huge setback to someone fighting an
addiction and could potentially send him back to the very thing we are keeping
him away from. Proper preparation and planning can be the difference between
successfully kicking an addiction or continuing on an addictive path.
