The NBA today suspended Washington Wizards forward Christian Laettner without pay for five games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.
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The nature of Laettner's violation is kept confidential by the league, however, a player is not suspended for violating the drug policy until he tests positive for a banned substance for a third time or violates the aftercare program the league requires players to undergo after a first or second positive test. Violating the aftercare program could be something as simple as not returning a call to a league official regarding a prior test or failing to take a drug test after a prior violation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13446-2004Jan13.html
