HAVING PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED to using marijuana during his playing days, New York Knicks president Phil Jackson said the drug is part of the NBA culture despite efforts to spot it.
While playing for the Knicks, Jackson missed the entire 1969-70 season because of his back injury, and he used medical marijuana to treat the pain.
That came as no surprise on Tuesday but what raised some eyebrows was Jackson saying the NBA will never be able to legislate marijuana out of the game because it has become part of the league’s lifestyle.
After Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admitted to using marijuana while dealing with chronic back pain, Jackson told the CBS Sports Network: “The year that I was off I was smoking marijuana during that period of time. I think it was a distraction for me as much as a pain reliever.
“But I never thought of it as ultimately a pain medication for that type of situation.
“We have tried to stop [marijuana use] in the NBA. I don’t think we have been able to stop it. I think it still goes on and is still a part of the culture in the NBA.
“It is something that we either have to accommodate or figure out another way to deal with it.”
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