NBA players to be tested for HGH starting next season

NEW YORK — NBA players will be blood tested for human growth hormone beginning next season.

The league and the Players Association announced Thursday that HGH testing will start during training camp next fall. All players will be subjected to three random, unannounced tests annually — two during the season and once in the offseason.

A positive test will result in a 20-game suspension for a first violation and a 45-game ban for a second violation. A player would be dismissed and disqualified from the NBA for his third violation.

Owners and players had agreed during collective bargaining negotiations in 2011 to determine a process for how HGH testing could be implemented. The league hasn’t previously done blood testing.