Soumaila Samake (born March 18, 1978) is a Malian former professional
basketball player. A 7'0" tall
center, he was drafted by the
New Jersey Nets in the second round of the
2000 NBA draft, and played for the Nets and the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
. He scored 68 points and grabbed 76 rebounds in 47 NBA games between 2000 and 2003. His final NBA game was played on December 4th, 2002 in a 85 - 93 loss to the Utah Jazz where he played for 2 minutes and recorded no stats.
While playing with the Lakers in 2002, Samake was suspended five games after testing positive for
Nandrolone, an
anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone (medication), testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related ...
. Samake said that he had accidentally ingested the substance while taking a dietary supplement. He was only the third NBA player suspended for steroids, following
Don MacLean and
Matt Geiger.
[Liz Robbins.]
N.B.A. Union Strikes Deal for Supplements
. ''New York Times''. November 17, 2006. Retrieved on June 15, 2009.
On November 29, 2011, it was announced that the
National Basketball League of Canada's
Quebec Kebs
The Quebec Kebs (french: Kebs de Quebec) were a professional basketball team located in Laval, Quebec, formerly based in Quebec City, Quebec. The Kebs were part of the National Basketball League of Canada. They also played in the Atlantic Divisi ...
had signed Samake to their active roster.
References
External links
NBA.com: Soumaila Samake Bio*
1978 births
Living people
Centers (basketball)
Cincinnati Stuff players
Expatriate basketball people in the United States
Greenville Groove players
Jilin Northeast Tigers players
KK Mornar Bar players
KK Olimpija players
Laval Kebs players
Los Angeles Lakers players
Malian expatriates in the United States
Malian men's basketball players
New Jersey Nets draft picks
New Jersey Nets players
Orlandina Basket players
People from Sikasso Region
Zhejiang Golden Bulls players
21st-century Malian people
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