Players and Off court activities

fj20 · Post #1 » by **fj20** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

with the recent news about lebron smoking weed in his junior year of high school
i wanted to get peoples take on what they think about players and smoking...i know everyone has their own opinion but to me...i think like a josh howard situation if players smoke during the offseason thats their choice...as long as they are working on their game...i say go for it...now im not endorsing illegal drugs... its not performance enhancing at all either...if they dont get caught by the cops either

everyone has a choice to live their life as they want it and i feel like most of the players in the NBA smoke weed anyways since its not even tested for by the nba

Post #2 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:50 am

Yeah, it is tested for by the NBA. David Harrison was suspended 5 games for it when he played for the Pacers.

fj20 · Post #3 » by **fj20** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:56 am

B. Reasonable Cause Testing for All Players

If the NBA or NBPA receives information that provides reasonable cause of a player's use, possession or distribution of a prohibited substance, the NBA or NBPA will request a hearing with the other party and the Independent Expert within 24 hours of the receipt of that information. At that hearing, the Independent Expert will decide whether reasonable cause exists, and if it does exist, will issue an authorization for testing. After an authorization for testing is issued, the NBA will arrange for testing of the player four times during the next six weeks.

If the NBA or NBPA believe that there is sufficient evidence of a player's use, possession or distribution of a prohibited substance, the matter may be taken directly to the league's Grievance Arbitrator. If the Grievance Arbitrator determines that the player has used or possessed amphetamine and its analogs, cocaine, LSD, opiates or PCP, or has distributed any prohibited substance, he will be dismissed and disqualified from the NBA.
C. Testing of First-Year Players

A first-year player (a player who has not played an NBA regular season game before the current season) can be tested once during training camp, or, if a player reports during the regular season or with fewer than 15 days remaining in training camp, once during the first 15 days after he reports to his team. A first-year player can also be tested three times during the regular season, or, if he signs with a team after March 1, three times during the rest of that season and the next season. All such tests are at the discretion of the NBA and without prior notice to the player.
D. Testing of Veteran Players

Veteran players can be tested once during training camp, or, if a player reports during the season or with less than 15 days remaining in training camp, once during the first 15 days after he reports to his team. All such tests are at the discretion of the NBA and without prior notice to the player.

just sound info i found online about it...kinda interesting...seems like players can figure out when they are gonna get tested

MUpacersSIC · Post #4 » by **MUpacersSIC** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:01 am

Um if you're an NBA player, or just a normal person smoking weed is stupid. Why do it? Maybe I was just raised with good morals I don't know. But there really isn't any reason for it, imo.

fj20 · Post #5 » by **fj20** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:10 am

good morals??? i was raised with good morals i believe...yes it is illegal...there are many reasons people do it...NBA players well some of them that have grown up around not just around weed but other drugs and rough situations....everyone has different opinions but as long as it does not effect their performance on the court during the season than its a totally different argument

Donerik · Post #6 » by **Donerik** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:23 am

It's Illegal, and they signed a contract agreeing to a drug policy. I don't think it's unreasonable to drug test your employees.

The NBA is selling basketball, it's selling an Image too.

Millions of parents are actually trying to keep their kids off pot, having Josh Howard smoke dope, admit to it, and they shoot his mouth off about how GWB isn't his president isn't helping the NBA sell its product.

So if you sign your name to take money and promise not to buy pot with that money, and you're in a country where it's illegal to do so. Well I think that's a reasonable argument against it.

If you want a Job where you can smoke pot and still work, work fast food, if you want to make millions of dollars playing a game that hundreds of guys not on weed would love to play and just don't happen to be as gifted athletically as you, maybe don't smoke pot.

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #7 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:31 am

Heres what I don't get. So when Monta Ellis got hurt, the Warriors could have waived his contract because he was doing something he wasn't suppose to be doing according to the contract. Can the Pacers not have players sign the same sort of thing, saying if they get in trouble with the law, the Pacers can waive their contract?

Post #8 » by **Miller4ever** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:38 am

^^Agree

Marijuana...not as harmless as some people make it out to be, but still a mild drug.

However, what it does is shut down brain cells. Not kill; shut down.

When you smoke weed once, maybe a few hundred thousand cells get slowed down to the point of hibernation. If you rest a week, you will be fine. They'll wake back up. Keep smoking heavily, even daily in say, 1 NBA offseason, and there will be permanent stasis in small sections of your brain. Minor, but in a sport like the NBA, the differences in athleticism can be miniscule...but you lose even the tiniest step and you're done.

Now, if you're not being paid 5 million a year to stay in tip-top shape and perform at your physical best, I'd say go for it. NBA players are paid too much to smoke weed, though. Do it after you're retired. You can smoke all you want.

Michael Phelps learned the best lesson of all: Don't let people find out.

Post #9 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:08 am

DGrangeRx33 wrote:Heres what I don't get. So when Monta Ellis got hurt, the Warriors could have waived his contract because he was doing something he wasn't suppose to be doing according to the contract. Can the Pacers not have players sign the same sort of thing, saying if they get in trouble with the law, the Pacers can waive their contract?

Tinsley wasn't convicted of anything, and he only has a few misdemeanors on his record since he went to Iowa State.

There's nothing there that could have violated his contract. It's about the same as being able to waive somebody because they shoplifted, smoked weed, or got cited for wreckless driving for driving 30 mph over the speed limit. There's limits to what can violate a contract, for good reasons, for both players and owners.

granger05 · Post #10 » by **granger05** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:59 am

I think Tinsley's arbitration hearing would have been a very interesting test case for how off court behavior affects what ownership can do with you. That's the only reason that I'm disappointed that a buyout was reached. I could have tolerated him for another week in order to see how things played out.

chatard5 · Post #11 » by **chatard5** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:18 am

I have some interesting opinions about this topic. Surprisingly, I actually don't smoke. Not because it is illegal, but just because I don't like it. I don't see how it is worse than drinking, though. I am not saying marijuana should be legal, but if alcohol is legal then I think marijuana should be legal. I do drink, so I want that to stay the way it is. I have friends that smoke and would never do other drugs (besides drink), so I haven't seen it personally be a gateway drug. Don't get the wrong impression, you shouldn't smoke. Especially if you are younger it is just a bad habit that you can get in big trouble for. Not to mention it isn't healthy.

Enough about that... If I was an NBA owner and was paying this players millions of dollars I would not want them smoking weed during the season, at all. I don't care if you have 4 days off and don't have practice, you aren't smoking. I also wouldn't want them to get drunk the day/night before a day we have a game or practice. You can maybe have a drink or 2, but I don't want you drunk during the regular season (I wouldn't mind if it was Chistmas Eve or something and there was no game or practice on Christmas--just keep it under some control). But during the season I also don't want you eating fast food or putting that crap (that fast food that is awful for you sure does taste great, though) in your body very often at all. You can eat it a little bit, but you better not be having it weekly, in my opinion.

During the offseason I would be more leniant. I want my players to be conditioning, working out, and working on there game for most of the off-season. They can have a little more fast-food as long as they burn it off. If you want to smoke a little bit that would be okay, as long as it doesn't interfere with the conditioning and all of that. I want it to be safe in your home, and someone from your entourage better be buying it and watching your back. And you better not smoke too often. As for drinking (really getting drunk), I feel the same about that as I do the smoking. Don't drink too much where you will get sick. If you want to go out and have some drinks that is fine--just make sure you have a driver. And don't be hungover and let if affect your work-outs!

chatard5 · Post #12 » by **chatard5** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:26 am

I have an interesting story about drugs and athletes... So I worked at the track here in Indy during the month of May a few years ago. There was a dinner a few nights before the Indy 500 that I worked that most of the drivers attended. So I was just standing around because there wasn't much to do. I decide to go nearby 2 drivers and, well, listen to their conversation. I was stunned. They were telling each other stories about doing shrooms and acid!! Now I haven't ever done either and don't know too much about them, but I have heard you can have flashback type things from acid. And not to mention how bad that is for your body!! I keep hearing this talk about Jeremy Mayfield and Meth or whatever. I don't know if that is true, but I think some of these guys have done drugs.

Now I don't remember for sure, but I THINK only 1 of these guys qualified, and it wasn't a very good start. They may only try to race in Indy. I don't want to say the names of the guys, but they were in there mid-20s and were both from big time Indy racing families. Keep in mind they didn't qualify well or finish well (they may have both qualified, but neither of them did well), so it isn't Marco Andretti. It was stunning to hear people that drive cars at 220 MPH would be dumb enough to do those kinds of drugs. It's bad enough if you are a football player or whatever, but a racecar driver?! If these flashback things I have heard of are true (where you kind of feel/see what you did while on the drugs) then that is verrrryyy dangerous for all of the drivers.

Post #13 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:40 pm

So you're saying one of them is likely AJ Foyt IV.

Post #14 » by **PR07** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:14 pm

I think if an organization is risking millions upon millions into you, you owe it to them to keep your body and mind in tip-top shape. Yes, there's a lot of pressure on these guys, but that's why they get the 7 figures in their contracts.

Post #15 » by **Charcoal Filtered** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:09 pm

Would it be shocking to know that the great Celtic teams of Bird-Parrish-McHale were pot smokers? I do not find it any more offensive than drinking or eating junk food. Only problem I have is being stupid with it.

I have a bigger problem with men in underwear.

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... underwear/