"I actually called and advocated": Kevin Durant pushed Adam Silver to get marijuana off the banned substances list
NBA superstar Kevin Durant continues his advocacy for marijuana use. He was recently in Los Angeles to attend an event sponsored by CNBC and The Boardroom:
“I actually called him [Silver] and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance 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."
At #GamePlan23 @KDTrey5 discusses his business ventures in the marijuana industry with @andrewrsorkin pic.twitter.com/IdByyZvAPV
Three years ago, when he was recovering from an Achilles injury, the then-Brooklyn Nets star also pushed for the same thing. He asked the NBA to remove weed from its list of prohibited substances.
Durant also had this to say about how his meeting with Adam Silver went:
"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."
"KD" refused to be called a “pioneer” due to his endeavors. He claimed that he just enjoys using the plant. However, his advocacy and many others must have worked as the new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the NBPA has made marijuana legal.
Kevin Durant has dug into his stance of supporting weed. He has been investing in marijuana-related companies over the past few years.
Kevin Durant once told David Letterman during an interview that he was high
David Letterman is one of those who can easily banter with Kevin Durant. During an interview in 2022, the basketball superstar opened up on several things including marijuana.
The two-time NBA champion didn’t hold back. He admitted to using the plant since he was 22. The former MVP said he uses it to “clear distractions out of the brain.” For Durant, he likened the effect to having a glass of wine.
When asked by Letterman about his consumption, Durant didn’t even hesitate and told the host that he was “high.”
Little by little, KD’s advocacy has worked. Random marijuana testing was suspended during the bubble and tests weren’t carried out for the 2021-22 season.
LaMelo Ball, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are just three of the biggest names in the NBA who have admitted to enjoying weed.
Eventually, the NBA and the NBPA removed it from their banned substances list.
Also read: 5 NBA players who smoke weed featuring Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and more