Kevin Durant takes credit for helping to lift the NBA’s ban on marijuana and talks about his desire to eventually get into ownership in an interview with CNBC, relays Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic.
The Suns star, who’s involved in cannabis business ventures, said he reached out to commissioner Adam Silver about removing the drug prohibitions from the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Players were previously required to enter the league’s treatment and counseling program after a first offense and faced fines and suspensions for multiple violations.
“I actually called him and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance list,” Durant said. “I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country, around the world that it was the stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before. It doesn’t affect you in any negative way.”
Durant talked about his numerous business interests, which he said were starting to take up too much of his time. He and his agent, Rich Kleiman, agreed that he’ll take a step back from those commitments to focus more on basketball. Durant also discussed his longtime dream of becoming an NBA team owner, preferably with a new franchise in Seattle, where he debuted in the league.
“That would be cool for sure in a perfect world,” Durant said. “Whatever opportunity comes up, hopefully I can be a part of something special. But yeah, Seattle would be the ideal spot. They deserve to have a team there again, and I would love to be a part of the NBA in that fashion. But we’ll see.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Keita Bates-Diop is a defensive specialist, but he can help the Suns‘ offense as well, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes in an examination of what the free agent forward will bring to the team. “I think you’re gonna be surprised at some of the stuff he’s able to do around the rim with his length,” said Doug McDermott, who played alongside Bates-Diop in San Antonio. “Like, he can finish layups I’ve never seen just ’cause how long his arms are.”
- In a new PBS documentary, Warriors guard Stephen Curry says he still feels like he’s in “the prime of my career, in a sense of what I’m able to accomplish.” The project, titled ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated,’ traces his journey from unproven prospect to the top three-point shooter in NBA history.
- Veteran guard Cory Joseph is thrilled to have the chance to back up Curry and Chris Paul after signing a one-year deal with the Warriors, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Joseph called it an “unbelievable opportunity” during an introductory press conference via Zoom. “I get to learn from two of the greats to ever do it at their position,” he said. “I’m extremely excited. I’m sure I’ll get there and learn a lot from them.”
Keita Bates-Diop is a great kid. Ohio State had a great run on the basketball recruiting trail a few years back. Stole Greg Oden and Mike Conley from Indianapolis. Took Evan Turner, Lenzelle Smith, Keita out of Illinois.
Bates-Diop can also relate to what LeBron and his family are going through right now. He had a younger brother who was a highly regarded recruit in high school who collapsed and went into cardiac arrest at practice. The school had a defibrillator on site, and his life was saved.
Bates-Diop and Jordan Goodwin will both be excellent off the bench for Phoenix. Goodwin has a chance to be a dude. Yuta and Eric Gordon shooting three’s. Like what Phoenix has done in terms of roster construction.
Agreed on all counts. I’m not 100% sold on the Suns between how bad Ayton was last year and the lack of a starting PG, but that much firepower surrounded with positive bench talent is a good sign.
Metu and Eubanks should provide solid frontcourt depth. Eubanks is a solid player; he’s a good defender and can play surprisingly far from the rim if need be. And Metu was a net positive for the Kings last year.
I concur.
Googling Durant’s net worth, answers are all over the place but top out at about $300 million. That’s a boatload of money, but in truth still barely enough to be a very small minority partner in NBA ownership…
Jordan got in while the getting was good (and still possible for a former player).
You can add $150 million from the rest of his current contract. And then it’s likely he’ll make >$50 million a year if he ages like LeBron, so should top $600 million in salary. Between the previous and current Nike contracts, he’s earning $300 million, so add in various endorsements over the years, and he’s probably retiring with a cool billion. Even that isn’t enough to buy a team, but would others trust him to be a managing partner?
These players got it so easy today. Don’t even have to play defense. See Denver just passed the ball and shot 3s. 60s players would destroy the players of today
Eh, the defenses of the 60s had it so easy with the shot clock and without threes. 40s players would destroy them.
What is it with defense being the hallmark of Real Basketball? Funny, Durant recently waded into a Twitter debate to defend (ha) scoring. Points are the whole point of the game! Aside from entertainment, which is why the game has evolved.
@icecreamsocialist – so true bestie, its only when a player like Steph Curry comes along after Lebron demolished NBA media to make it strictly refer to ol’ 4-6 as “the undisputed GOAT and youre stupid for thinking otherwise” that was in response to NBA media before 2012 absolutely hating Lebron. It was too far one way, but he permanently made it too far the other way, so now Curry (3-1 vs Bron in Finals) has to have all the ways he’s great “toned down” and what he’s not as great at (defense) blown out of proportion to how important it is.
Curry is a great scorer, ergo, his defense is his weakness, so now the conversation is “all about defense”.
the game is so different now days so its impossible to compare. Wilt could not dominate today like he did in the 60s. Everyone makes claims about the good old days but that is because they were young back in those days.
60s players would not be able to defend players of today just on the basis of their lack of quickness. Add in the that they would no longer be able to hand check and the change in the palming and traveling rules and it would be a joke. A team of 60s players would get demolished by 4o+ points even against the worst teams of today.
60s players have nowhere near the skill and athleticism of the players of today, you are smoking crack my man. Players of today are absolutely destroying all eras prior, make no mistake do not delude yourself.
“…. It doesnt affect you in any negative way.”
LOL!
Yes, “LOL” is generally what happens. KD is right.