It’s been a momentous week for the NBA.
The league that continues to be recognized as the most progressive in all professional sports has once again taken one giant step for player-kind. Weed and gambling-kind too.
According to the league’s new labor agreement, not only has marijuana been removed from the banned substances list but players can also legally invest in companies producing CBD-related goods. Similarly, NBA players can hold (up to 1%) non-controlling interests in betting and fantasy sports companies. This is a far cry from the stance that most professional sports leagues have held throughout history. Heck, not long ago, there weren’t even marijuana or legalized sports gambling institutions to invest in! In other words, this is all moving very quickly.
While the NFL continues to suspend players for gambling and marijuana possession, the NBA will now allow its players to hold albeit small stock interest in companies like FanDuel and Draft Kings if they are so inclined. In other words, NBA players will still not be able to gamble but rather be given the opportunity to make money when NFL players do. It’s yet another brilliant move by Commissioner Silver. His predecessor would be proud.
But the thing that really intrigued me was the league’s change in weed policy. I’m old enough to remember when Robert Parrish was arrested for having a fair amount (ounces!) of weed mailed to his Boston residence. I’m also old enough to remember when Chauncey Billups theorized that over 60% of NBA players smoked marijuana (hint: take the over). Billups was probably high when he made this speculation. I’m also old enough to remember smoking weed, and discussing with friends who also smoked weed, why the NBA was still so adamant in punishing its players for doing the same.
Maybe Silver agreed to finally nip this one in the bud (get it?) because he had bigger fish to fry and yes, I’m sorry for giving all my weed-smoking readers the munchies with a fish fry reference.
Upon hearing that the Association has, at long last, eased up on its weed stance, I couldn’t help but wonder which players in the NBA, both past and present, would make the best weed spokesperson and which would have the best slogan?
How about James Harden pushing Weird Beard, LeBron and Michael competing over who pimps the better Goatweed or maybe Steph Curry’s high test Threed, available for shipment from long distances.
This is where you come in. My glorious, most inventive reader to come up with an NBA player’s best weed pitch will win, well, I’d offer up a marijuana cigarette but I kicked the habit years ago so a personalized SportsChump t-shirt, that doesn’t reek of weed will have to do.
Now… what was I saying?
Uh, Larry Bird:
French Lick Fade
The best weed pitch would be written by BCole’s youngest son. He’s never known how life was when marijuana was discussed as a bad drug. I would want to see the pitch written by the people who were born after DARE programs removed marijuana from the curriculum, and elementary students were never again taught that it’s a bad drug.
Jackal….
Bird’s French Lick Fade effectiveness rivaled only by Magic’s Magic.
And I probably would have opted for Robert Parish’s Celtic Green for pure potency.
Greg…
He’ll also never know a time with no cellphones and no internet. How we ever survived back then.
No wonder we needed all that weed.