In a new interview, retired NBA star Shawn Kemp indicated that he and other members of the NBA smoked marijuana during their playing days.
The admission came during Kemp’s interview with TMZ Sports and was connected to Kemp’s promotion of his new business, a marijuana dispensary in Seattle.
“When I played, absolutely we smoked pot back in the day when we played,” Kemp said. “We was responsible with it, but we definitely smoked.”
Kemp explained the reasoning for players using marijuana, citing the grind of going through a lengthy season and pointing out that such usage was better than taking pain medication.
In the case of the 50-year-old Kemp, he indicated that he suffers from arthritis and other age-related pains that come from having played 14 NBA seasons.
Kemp’s marijuana-based business is simply known as Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis and is located in the city where he spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career.
One indication of how the perception of marijuana has changed over the past few decades can be seen in his ability to openly sell the product. Previously, he was arrested for possession of marijuana, among other offenses.
From here on out, it seems clear that Kemp plans on using and selling marijuana while working inside the rule of law.
