After not testing players for marijuana during its summer restart, the NBA will continue to forgo those tests for the 2020/21 season, league sources tell NBA reporter Ben Dowsett (Twitter links).
As Dowsett explains, this decision is largely tied to COVID-19 safety protocols, since testing for marijuana only increases the amount of close contact required for players. Still, Dowsett notes that there’s no guarantee the testing program will ever return in its previous form. The expectation from many people in the league is that marijuana testing may be on the way out, per Dowsett.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich acknowledged this week that putting together the roster for the Tokyo Olympics may be a challenge, given how late the NBA season will run. “The timing does make everything difficult,” Popovich said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “And it will demand some real soul-searching and out-of-the-box type of thinking to put together the best team we possibly can.”
- Free agent big man Kyle Alexander, who finished the 2019/20 season on a two-way contract with Miami, has reached an agreement to sign with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain for the 2020/21 season, the team announced (Spanish link). Alexander made his NBA debut in the Orlando bubble, appearing in two of the Heat’s eight seeding games.
- ESPN.com has provided a primer on how the 2020/21 NBA season will work, including details on the league’s COVID-19 protocols, the new postseason play-in format, and more.
- Wilson Chandler, who joined the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association after finishing last season with the Nets, spoke on an episode of The Realm podcast about why he decided to continue his career in China. Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News shares some of the highlights from the discussion.
Totally ridiculous to test for marijuana when it is legal in so many places. (although the black market is waaaay cheaper if you know what’s up)
I agree, it’s not only legal in many places, (and rightfully so, as alcohol is so much worse on so many levels), it also cannot be construed as performance-enhancing by any stretch of the imagination. I haven’t used marijuana in years, but any level-headed person with experience using it and alcohol knows there is a huge difference, and it is ridiculous that alcohol is universally accepted while marijuana is not. I am not saying alcohol should be illegal, just that it is much worse than marijuana, both for it’s impact on the user health-wise and its impact on society in general.
Thanks Doc
And of course there are people like you who have no clue bout the topic but run your mouth about it anyway.
It doesn’t take a doctor…just some common sense.
Thanks Doc
Marijuana being illegal and alcohol being legal is total hypocrisy. Thousands of people die every year because of alcohol either from its long-term effects, sometimes from alcohol poisoning, or most commonly drunk driving. I don’t know how many stoned drivers are killed in accidents, but I imagine it’s a minute fraction of drunk drivers. Plus it’s impossible to overdose on pot.
Yeah since less people smoke weed thank drink, that’s a reasonable assumption
Ok karen
Luckylefty doesn’t know what a “Karen” is… that’s cute
Less people smoke because of the legality. If it was legal everywhere like it is here in WA or Colorado or any of the new green states there wouldn’t be any testing for it. If an athlete wants to smoke a doobie cause they’re in pain they should be allowed to. It would then limit opioids possibly and could have possibly saved Tyler Skaggs ijs. Hindsight 20/20 and we in 2020 times ain’t crazier then now
It’s not even about how prevalent the use of the two is, it’s about the effects they cause. There are plenty of people who base their ignorant opinions on legality without any personal experience. Quite frankly, comparing marijuana to alcohol is like comparing candy to cigarettes. Neither is really good for you, but one can flat-out kill you…and that is without taking into consideration the negative effects alcohol often has on people around the user.
Per CNN, weed increases the severity of every medical risk around Covid. But that’s ok; eating food anywhere other than your home is not. Got it ;)
Interesting, Tony. I’d like the link to that, considering there have been some studies which show weed can aid in treating symptoms of covid
It’s basically saying how smoking irritates the lungs and long term use of it makes it harder to diagnose and treat Covid if you do have it. Also when high, makes your decision making a bit suspect, etc. Still rather use CBD/THC over opoids any day of the week.
Huh? And Alchohol consumption doesn’t improve the immune system.
I drive better stoned , drive a lot more cautious and follow the rules of the road, when sober I’m a way more aggressive driver
Lol
Smoking anything is not good for u, especially if your an athlete. But I think the players should do pot if they want who cares. I think any drugs rules outside of steroids should be up to the individual owners. If I pay ur contract i dont want you doing crack or H. Especially if u just but it from some random person? Them again if it makes you happy and u can still play it’s not my business…what do YOU think?
lets ask dion bout overdosing and delonte bout that other stuff that makes em happy.
Ask them what? It isnt my business of they wanna chill party and have fun. I have my own life to live…I cannot control others. Just a hoop and a ball, it’s pretty simple actually
Iowa you can’t OD on THC
you wouldn’t consider seizures as a byproduct of having to much of a substance in your system? milder form of o.d.ing compared to death, but still a form.
Bro if u eat a cheeseburger then have a heart attack did u OD on cheeseburgers? It’s not the same read a book. Clearly u dont party…
Inhaling something (anything) into your lungs other than oxygen is harmless. Right.
Sooo very true meadowlark!
Clearly our lungs were created/designed to breath air & … well more air, no smoke of any kind!
I’d love to c the USA team b all young guys. Ja Morant, Trae Young, Collin Sexton, Tyler Herro, DeAaron Fox, Gary Trent Jr, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, Jeren Jackson Jr, Marvin Bagley, John Collins… bunch of guys who could b stars but aren’t all stars yet. I’d sit and watch every one of those games. Just to c how they would mesh together and
Cool story Hansel
Malik Beasley’s world keeps getting sunnier!!! His bigpayday will enable him to smoke 6 paper joints now , while no worries on NBA suspending him. Now if they could just make flashing guns around and pointing them at your child’s heads ok he’d be in heaven.