NBA's O.J. Mayo Is Appealing Drug Suspension

O.J. Mayo says he's fighting his ban from the NBA after allegedly violating the league's drug policy -- and tells TMZ Sports he expects to be back on the court soon.

The league handed down the punishment back in July -- and said he'll be eligible to apply for reinstatement in 2 years. The league has not released any details about the substance that triggered the violation.

But when we got Mayo out in L.A. Monday he told us he's not taking the situation lying down -- saying he filed an appeal and the process is already "in the works."

(UPDATE: There's some debate over what Mayo says in the clip. Some people believe he says, "I already appealed it. It didn't work." Our photog says he believes he heard "it's in the works." Listen to the video and judge for yourself.)

As for the alleged violation, Mayo says he will tell his side of the story soon -- and noted that he's been focused on recovering from recent foot surgery.