When LeBron James passes an imaginary blunt object to teammate Christian Wood, does it count as an assist? Was James referring to the fact that he just made a layup? And why didn’t the NBA call him a foul?
Regardless, the NBA enters a new era on Sunday: Marijuana is all good.
Marijuana, of course, has been burning in the professional sports world for decades. Players have kept a low profile for years because they could be suspended, arrested or banned. Then the United States began legalizing medical and even recreational marijuana use. Professional sports followed, but mostly quietly. The league knows their athletes impact millions of young people.
In April last year, the NBA reached an agreement with the players union to officially allow marijuana use. Players are no longer tested or punished for using it. Similar agreements have been reached in professional baseball and hockey. In the NFL, marijuana has been largely allowed since 2021, when teams began testing players only once per season at the start of training camp.
So in a sense, what James did in Sunday’s game was just smoke in the wind. In a game against the Houston Rockets and his counterpart Dillon Brooks, James had a classic 37-point performance, but he fouled at the basket on a fast break and missed a left-handed layup. After shooting his offending hand with an imaginary pistol, James put two fingers to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and extended the phantom grass over Wood. Additionally, James then threw LeBronte to the hardwood and crushed him with his sneaker.
Another time, James made a move, rolled up a fat ball and passed it to teammate Anthony Davis. AD Break free from the shackles of the “James Joint” and return to a career as an elite athlete. The league has since stopped policing staring, throat-slitting, video vixen and what some have called overtly masculine behavior. Maybe NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is just in a calm mood.
(This all happened after Snoop Dogg captured the world’s attention with an “I’m quitting smoking” social media post that turned out to be an advertising scam. “Cali Dro” remains defeat.)
I doubt the millions of people who buy marijuana as easily as “broccoli” would be surprised. But many of us remember a real-life case of NBA superstar Allen Iverson suffering from a chronic illness. NFL running back Ricky Williams has been suspended for the entire season for not stopping the “Crumblin’ Erb.” Even current NFL star Travis Kelce got an L grade when he was suspended for a year from college, and wasn’t the feel-good type.
So what does it mean when LeBron James, the face of the NBA in Lakers purple and gold, shows off some “purple swag” and nothing happens? It doesn’t matter that the weed is imaginary. It was a cultural moment that marked the passing of the torch for America.
You may have noticed that I am very familiar with the language of cannabis and may assume that I am an advocate for this herb. In fact, I quit twenty years ago, after a period of addiction in my twenties. For me, every aspect of life is better without marijuana, including my basketball game. I think marijuana is harmful to young people. Doctors say it can cause serious harm to people of all ages. Yes, it helps many professional athletes with pain relief and recovery, and marijuana isn’t as bad for them as historically more widely accepted prescription drugs or alcohol. Well, missing a jump shot isn’t as bad as turning it over — but too much of both can lead to failure.
But that’s just me.Like it or not, marijuana has become so normalized in sports and society that James’ home state of Ohio just voted to become the 24th stateth States legalize recreational marijuana. Kevin Durant smelled like marijuana during a meeting with Silver, Kelce said 80 percent of NFL players are addicted to marijuana, and Major League Baseball has an official marijuana sponsor.
So when James’ fingers began to make those familiar twists on Sunday, the message from the pro sports world was clear: Let the “good times” roll.
You may also have caught my not-so-subtle rap reference. It’s no coincidence that both weed and hip-hop have taken over the mainstream over the past year or two. They’re like Wiz and Snoop working together on “Young, Wild and Free.” Hip-hop is far from the only music culture that likes to be loud, but I challenge the rock, country, or stoner corridors to match rap’s vast cannabis playlist. Today’s NBA arenas are filled with rap beats, and you don’t need to turn on the lights to feel the bass of “I Got 5 On It” at a Golden State Warriors game.
James is not an ambassador for herbal medicine or a representative of the new medicine culture. He is 38 years old, meticulous about his body, and his love of wine is well known. He has yet to appear on the popular podcast “All the Smoke.” I don’t know if James smoked any form of marijuana.
I do know that James is a savvy performer and a strategic leader. A defining theme of his career was elaborate handshakes with teammates. Perfecting each greeting required spending quality time with his staff, and remembering all the details was a sign of his unique genius. What James did on Sunday was more about having fun, going viral, telling inside jokes and connecting with his team than planning a crib tantrum.
What if he did? There seems to be no limit to “how high” you can go in professional sports these days.