NBA Drug Tests International Star After Viral Play From Cavs-Pelicans Breaks the Internet

The New Orleans Pelicans’ seven-game home winning streak was snapped on Saturday night. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 27 points; meanwhile, Zion Williamson had his team-high 25 points. However, the league has decided to test an international player from the losing team despite his 6-point night. The Bosnian-Croatian big man, Karlo Matkovic, revealed on Instagram that, per league rules, he was tested on Saturday.

“Ofc I’m drug tested today 😂😂😂,” Matkovic captioned the story, alongside the post of his viral highlight dunk. In the fourth quarter of the Pelicans’ 111-106 loss, Matkovic caught an alley-oop pass from Jeremiah Fears, facing away from the basket, and still finished. His 360-degree slam dunk got the Smoothie King Center on its feet. Is the NBA allowed to randomly drug-test its players, though?

As part of the NBA’s CBA, under the Anti-Drug Agreement, Section B states, “All players are subject to six random urine tests during each season and off-season. Players are subject to four random urine tests during the NBA season and two random urine tests each off-season.”

The clause also states, “In addition to random testing, players are subject to reasonable cause testing at any time. Reasonable cause determinations are made by an Independent Expert, upon application from the NBA or NBPA. If the Independent Expert decides that reasonable cause exists to test a player for a Prohibited Substance, the player will be subject to four additional random tests over a six-week period for that Prohibited Substance.”

If he tests positive for a prohibited substance, the player risks immediate dismissal or disqualification from the league. The earliest reinstatement back into the league, if found not guilty, is only after two years.

While Matkovic is a solid contributor, averaging six points, his explosive athleticism, evident in his highlight dunks and strong chemistry on lobs from teammates like Zion Williamson, along with a 61/45/77 shooting line, is clearly what catches the eye and, apparently, the attention of league testers. He is not the first player this season to be tested after a viral play.

Indiana Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is recovering from an Achilles injury suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals last season, was also once called for a test. “Post a video dunking, drug test a week later!” he tweeted, followed by a crying-laughing emoji. Hali had posted a video of himself dunking on October 24. Naturally, the league took notice. The NBA has been doing this for some time now. Any viral play or high game scores trigger testing for the player.

When the NBA drug tests other NBA stars…

In 2023, three high-profile scenarios of players being tested came to light. Portland guard Damian Lillard had dropped 71 points in a 131-114 victory against the Houston Rockets, and the league was quick to take action. “I mean, honestly, I was like, ‘Are y’all serious?’ ” Lillard told the media the next day. Lillard said he had a urine test, and the NBA also demanded a blood test, the first time in his career he had been tested after a game.

Weeks earlier, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell faced the same situation after scoring a historic 71 points against the Chicago Bulls in a 145-134 overtime victory. “Andddd just like that we are drug tested this morning,” Mitchell wrote on X.

That year, it was Ja Morant who caught everyone by surprise with the number of times the NBA tested him. “Been drug tested like 6 times this season,” The Memphis Grizzlies star posted on X. “Walked in the arena & found out I got another one today 😂🙄” His seventh test was after Morant destroyed Pacers’ big man Jalen Smith with a monstrous poster dunk, a pattern that will feel very familiar to Karlo Matkovic right about now.