<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In a recent letter from union head Billy Hunter to all NBA players, Hunter wrote: "At the most recent negotiating session wiith the NBA owners ... the NBA expressed displeasure and concern about the alleged usage or possession of marijuana by several NBA players. Their contention is that the taint of marijuana usage by even a few players negatively impacts the entire NBA and that the only way to repair the NBA's image is to make significant changes to the anti-drug policy. As such, they proposed requiring mandatory random testing of all veterans during the season as well as during training camp. Currently, veterans may ONLY be tested during training camp."</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...rank&id=1722148 I find this interresting. I think they should have done this a long time ago. Theres alot of players are smoking it and thats just bad.
I agree. The NBA is like any other job which requires to be tested for drugs. I have nothing against the chronic but if players can't stay away for at least 6 months of the year then they are irresponsible and should be punished.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting mydi619:</div><div class="quote_post">which players use that stuff anyway?</div> Sometimes you wonder which ones don't! Seriously, I agree w/ CourtVision in that if they can't leave it alone for 6 months, they probably have a problem. I do have a problem with any drug use, especially w/ professional athletes. It's been a long time coming for regular drug testing.
also, the NBA is a business. they have an image they want to maintain. i think this is a good decision on their part. i hope they do institute random testing and they put heavy penalties for those who can't comply. playing the in the NBA and being paid millions is an amazing privilege. if you're too stupid to realize this and put down the bong, you don't deserve it. damn, if someone said they'd pay me the league minimum to play basketball, but i had to stop smoking weed.....hell, i'd become the leading spokesperson against marijuana. as mentioned above, if you want smoke weed in the off season, there's not much the NBA can say about that, IMO. but during the season, you're on the job.
Completely agree, I get drug tested a few times every year, why shouldn't they? Granted they aren't flying airplanes or anything, but sports are a huge industry and a lot of money rides on the games... so their ability to play clear-headed (or play for that matter, seeing as Odom used to get suspended quite a bit over his weed problem) is important. Personally I hate going on ESPN and reading that yet ANOTHER NBA player was caught with marijuana. I spend money and time to watch these guys, and it's disappointing to see I'm wasting that on these thug pot smokers! They get more money than most of us will get in our life, and play a game we'd pay to play... obviously their love of the game isn't too high, if they are willing to risk it on getting high with a bunch of low-life "friends". I wish some of these athletes would go to jail just like the rest of us who get caught with the drug. If any of us got caught buying or selling drugs we'd be in jail for years, but these athletes get off with fines... it's just encouraging other athletes to do it knowing they can get away with it. I hope they crack down HARD on drugs, especially marijuana.
I don't see why they should worry about it. It doesn't enhance your game a bit, and I find it highly unlikely that a guy is gonna get blunted 20 minutes before a game. If they wanna roll up a fatty on thier time, let em. If my job didn't have random testing, I'd be blazing too.
i agree if they cant contrl themselves they should be suspended. They are role models to someone around the world and if they are caught some kids will not look up to them as they once did.
ITs about the NBA's image.You can't have all players smoking pot.Like iamme said its a business.They are getting paid to play not to smoke pot.And if the little kids see there fav player smoking it they might try to smoke it too.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AIFan:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't see why they should worry about it</div> 1) Its illegal. 2) As everybody else pointed out, they work for an employer that has a lot at risk. Image is very important when you are trying to get Moms & Dads to spend their thin hard earned entertainment dollars on basketball tickets and merchandise. The employer is not asking them to do or not do something unrealistic. Don't break the law. Stay clean. Don't hurt your lungs - you might need those one day. 3) Its stupid. Charles put it nicely that NBA players should not be role models. Parents should be. But, it don't always work that way. Players have a responsibility, whether they like it or not.
Man! anyone in trghe freakin NBA who's using marjuianaoa is freakin crazy@ chow chan you use them. I mean, you gettin a bunch of money from those freaks. You're gertting payed a bunch of money, and by taking drugs you're deopardigzing your whole career. How can you do that?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting starman85:</div><div class="quote_post">Man! anyone in trghe freakin NBA who's using marjuianaoa is freakin crazy@ chow chan you use them. I mean, you gettin a bunch of money from those freaks. You're gertting payed a bunch of money, and by taking drugs you're deopardigzing your whole career. How can you do that?</div> If u don't mind me asking, what's up with your typing today?
Sorry, I was a little drunk when I wrote that. But I did that on purpose. My typing like that would be like an NBA player trying to play while high on marijuana. It just doens't make sense, and it doesn't optimize their abilities. It's an insult to them and the fans.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Just-Magic:</div><div class="quote_post">ITs about the NBA's image.You can't have all players smoking pot.Like iamme said its a business.They are getting paid to play not to smoke pot.And if the little kids see there fav player smoking it they might try to smoke it too.</div>I fail to see how a guy sitting at home getting high is jeopardizing the image of the NBA. I know they get paid to play, not smoke pot. It's not like they're taking themselvesout of a game to go get high. I'm talking about what a guy does at home on his own time. How is a little kid gonna see a player smoking pot? Come on man. You hear about guys in all sports getting busted for drugs, you ever see one doing them? The only way anyone would know if a certain player smoked weed is by testing him. If the player came to work smelling of or exhibiting obvious signs of drug use, test him and deal with it. But if he's coming to work, doing his job, staying out of trouble, why penalize him for what he does on his own time? Drinking and driving is WAY more common and dangerous, they need to do something about that. I've never heard of any athlete dying or getting injured in a wreck because he was under the influence of weed. Can you say the same about drinking and driving?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting starman85:</div><div class="quote_post">Sorry, I was a little drunk when I wrote that. But I did that on purpose. My typing like that would be like an NBA player trying to play while high on marijuana. It just doens't make sense, and it doesn't optimize their abilities. It's an insult to them and the fans.</div>doesn't optimize thier abilities???????? I can name many a player who smokes weed and is at the top of thier game. Rasheed Wallace is one that comes to mind. He's regarded as one of the best players in the league at his position, weed has had a profound effect on his abilites huh?
^ i think kids may not see it, but im sure some late teens recognize which players use drugs and which players don't. Like Rasheed, no offense but look at his face when he laughs, it's wonderful to see one smile or laugh because they're happy, but when someone laughs when there's no funny things exactly going on, and he laughs just because he 'feels like it' then some weird things are happening and these kids can see that. And, it's kinda stupid but the common scene is these kids'd start to think it's cool to use drugs because you're happy all the time... this is what Charles Barkley wanted to avoid, being a public icon, the truth is NBA players, especially the stars, can't escape being these icons. The fans want to do what the stars do, tell them, "LeBron eats this Bread X, and they'll start eating LeBron's bread, Bread X". So, that's what image is actually about... it's annoying to the players who really use drugs because to them, they just want the fans to mind their own lives and leave them alone, but it's not real... they somehow gotta see that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Fishball:</div><div class="quote_post">^ i think kids may not see it, but im sure some late teens recognize which players use drugs and which players don't. Like Rasheed, no offense but look at his face when he laughs, it's wonderful to see one smile or laugh because they're happy, but when someone laughs when there's no funny things exactly going on, and he laughs just because he 'feels like it' then some weird things are happening and these kids can see that. And, it's kinda stupid but the common scene is these kids'd start to think it's cool to use drugs because you're happy all the time... this is what Charles Barkley wanted to avoid, being a public icon, the truth is NBA players, especially the stars, can't escape being these icons. The fans want to do what the stars do, tell them, "LeBron eats this Bread X, and they'll start eating LeBron's bread, Bread X". So, that's what image is actually about... it's annoying to the players who really use drugs because to them, they just want the fans to mind their own lives and leave them alone, but it's not real... they somehow gotta see that.</div>I feel so strongly about this because I have to deal with it at my job too. While im home, I should be able to do what I want. How is me smoking weed effecting my job performance if im not at work???? Being under the influence at work is one thing, that should not be tolerated. But they can fire me for having weed in my system even if I just took a weeks vacation, got high, not even anywhere close to work, simply cause it's in my system. That is total bs. I think drug tests should be ran only when there is suspicion or obvious signs of being under the influence and it's affecting your performance. If companies are so worried about what's legal and what's not, then they should be doing something about the people who they employ that run red lights and speed, those are illegal just the same and infinitely more deadly than smoking weed.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AIFan:</div><div class="quote_post">doesn't optimize thier abilities???????? I can name many a player who smokes weed and is at the top of thier game. Rasheed Wallace is one that comes to mind. He's regarded as one of the best players in the league at his position, weed has had a profound effect on his abilites huh?</div> Who are you to say that Rasheed is at the top of his game? That's all I'm trying to say. The guy has some nice numbers, but who's to say that they wouldn't be higher if he didn't do pot? I know from experience with people that pot smokers are often less successful than non-smokers. With this being the case, I can only assume that the same is true for NBA players.
