Marijuana is the new 'Wine' in the NBA says Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has revealed that marijuana consumption is quite common in the NBA.
NBA superstar Kevin Durant has revealed that marijuana consumption is quite common in the basketball league and is almost “like wine at this point”. The Phoenix Suns forward even said that NBA commissioner Adam Silver once smelled marijuana on him during a meeting.
“Well, he smelled it when I walked in. So, I didn't really have to say much, you know what I'm saying? He kind of understood where this was going...It's the NBA, man... everybody does it, to be honest. It's like wine at this point,” Durant said at CNBC and Boardroom's inaugural Game Plan sports business conference held in Los Angeles.
Durant disclosed that he had called Adam Silver and recommended that marijuana should be thrown off from the list of banned products. “I actually called [Adam Silver] and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substances list. I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country, around the world. The stigma behind it wasn't as negative as it was before. It doesn't affect you in any negative way. … I just enjoy the plant, as simple as that,” the nine-time All-NBA Team selection recalled.
Durant’s endorsement of weed is not something new. The American basketballer had previously disclosed on Netflix series ‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman’ that he had smoked prior to the interview. During the interaction, Durant went on to claim that he was, “high right now.”
Durant even admitted to smoking weed at the age of 22. The three-time Olympic gold medalist compared consuming marijuana to “having a glass of wine.”
Durant’s latest remarks on stigma around marijuana come just months after the NBA's banned substances policy witnessed a massive change. In April this year, it was decided that players will no longer be tested for marijuana. A tentative deal between the tournament and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) resulted in this huge development. The new seven-year collective bargaining agreement allowed the NBA to remove marijuana from its list of banned products.
The marijuana testing was first stopped in March 2020. Next year, the NBA had confirmed that it would no longer test players randomly for alleged use of marijuana. Durant is one of the NBA's most popular players. He signed for Phoenix Suns from Brooklyn Nets earlier this year to join a roster laden with talent like Kevin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Suns are seen as one of the favourites to win the NBA title after Bradley Beal joined them from Washington Wizards.
