Last Saturday didn’t go exactly as Philadelphia 76ers’ key player, Paul George, expected. Following the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA announced a 25-game suspension for the athlete, who reportedly violated the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. His side of the story claims that the 76ers’ star unintentionally consumed the wrong medication for his mental health, to which Irvin has added sarcastic comments.
According to Sportskeeda, the former three-time Super Bowl Champion, who recently celebrated Miami’s win with a belt whipping, related Paul’s situation to his 1996 event, where he was reportedly found in possession of cocaine. After coming across his response, Irvin jokingly made a comment that he wished he used the same response back in 1996 as the small forward did.
In a tweet, Irvin can be seen responding to Paul’s claims with chuckles in “It Is What It Is” podcast, “I should’ve tried that when I was in the hotel room. … ‘I was dealing with something, mental health-wise, and that’s why I was doing them lines.’ I hope he gets the help he needs.” He adds this after stating that a 25-game suspension will cause significant financial loss for the NBA player.
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Paul’s Suspension Drama Meets Irvin’s Sarcastic Podcast Jab
The nine-time All-Star player unintentionally took an improper medication while treating his personal mental health issue. Despite his response, in which he takes full responsibility for the situation and apologizes to the team and the fans, the athlete’s absence from 25 games remains constant. This suspension will reportedly cost Paul around $12 million, which is a significant chunk out of a player’s contract.
Coming back to Irvin’s sarcastic take on this situation, with ‘I hope he gets the help he needs,’ the former NFL player seemingly clarified that he takes Paul’s personal mental health issue seriously. He jokingly related the player’s response to a historical event where he was involved in drugs.
In the past, Irvin has been arrested when authorities discovered cocaine in his Dallas hotel room. He also received a 5-game NFL suspension at that time, along with probation and a fine. With Paul now in his suspension period, which could crush the 76ers’ playoff hopes, he’ll make his way back to the court on March 25 and will be up against the Chicago Bulls. Apart from his apology, the small forward hasn’t publicly spoken on Irvin’s comments yet as media coverage continues to swirl around the ongoing saga.
Published: Feb 3, 2026 12:01 pm