The much improved Charlotte Hornets will expect more missed games from star center Al Jefferson.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Jefferson has been recovering from a leg injury but will have to miss 5 more games when he returns as he was caught violating the rules of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
''I just feel so low right now for every little boy and every little girl who looks at me as somebody they look up to,'' Jefferson said before their match up with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. ''For me to make mistakes like this, it's not cool. It's not cool for them and it's not cool for me. That kills me more than anything.''
Jefferson who is putting up career-low statistics of 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game stated that he found out about the drug test "around 2 weeks ago."
The Hornets big man is in the last year of his 3-year contract with the Hornets franchise.
As per nba.com, the organization released a press statement which said "We are disappointed in Al's decisions that led to this suspension. As an organization, we do not condone this behavior. We have addressed this with Al. He is regretful and understands that we expect him to learn from this mistake."
Jefferson then released his own statement to apologize to the team and to the Hornets' fans. "I want to apologize to the Hornets organization, our owner, my teammates and my coaches for the poor decision that I made," Jefferson said. "I know I have let people down, especially the Hornets fans that have been so supportive of me since I arrived in Charlotte two years ago."
He then concluded "I am blessed to be able to play the game that I love for a living and I do not take that for granted. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry, and I am committed to making smarter decisions in the future."
