Yesterday (Aug. 18), Drake and 21 Savage’s “It’s All A Blur Tour” stopped in San Francisco, California. Following Drake’s viral hair moment visiting Kevin Durant at a local off-season NBA hoop session, TMZ reported the Phoenix Suns forward was spotted allegedly smoking marijuana.
While the NBA had a long-standing ban on marijuana in the past, earlier this year, the league and the players union collectively agreed to remove weed from the banned substances list. This came shortly after the NHL and MLB decided to make the same move.
Although weed is becoming more and more acceptable across the country, fans still seem surprised when they see famous athletes participating in the drug’s recreational use. Former players like Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson have been longtime advocates for the acceptance of marijuana in the NBA. Their popular podcast, All The Smoke, has been going strong on Showtime for the past few years.
While many fans were surprised on social media to see the A-list hooper blazing up in his longtime friend’s show crowd, Durant has always been vocal about his affinity for the plant. During a rare sit-down interview, the Seat Pleasant, Maryland, native told David Letterman, “To me, it clears the distractions out of your brain a little bit — settles you down. It’s like having a glass of wine.”
The former NBA scoring champion also mentioned to Letterman that he has been smoking since he was 22. Durant’s storied relationship with social media usually leaves fans with mixed reviews about the talented athlete. One user on X stated, “Weed is less taboo than ever.” Another user exclaimed, “It’s okay, but let King James do that. All hell would break loose.”
Since the early 1990s, star athletes have felt pressured to present themselves with a clean image. Durant seems to be taking the Charles Barkley approach as he matures in his NBA career. With cameras on athletes 24/7, there will always be commentary on their actions.