Stephen Jackson smoked weed before basketball games

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JUNE 06: Stephen Jackson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on June 6, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

This one time I read a headline to the effect of “Flammable gas line leads to car catching fire.” Since no one was hurt to my knowledge, it was amusing. It was gratifying to know that something so simple that was almost absolutely going to happen did happen. That’s similar to the feeling I got when I learned that Stephen Jackson sometimes smoked weed before basketball games.

Here, in this ESPN report, it’s mentioned that Jackson admitted to the weed smoking on a podcast with actor and sports curmudgeon Michael Rapaport. Slightly more surprising was the mention that coach Don Nelson was aware and seemingly in favor of the burning and inhalation of weeds. Baron Davis seemed enthused as well, and it’s implied that he too partook at times. All sorts of names and policies are being brought up for inquiry here. I’ve decided to investigate none of them.

What concerns me most is that the type of weeds ingested is never made explicitly clear. I’ve burned crabgrass, dandelions, and those weird spiky things that show up next to my zucchini when I bury those invoices that keep coming in. While setting them on fire is fun and good for the environment, inhaling the smoke has had mixed results for my basketball capacity (baskepacity, as it’s called).

Crabgrass smoke — makes my head hurt and doesn’t help my fear of being the skin half of shirts and skins. Unhelpful.

Dandelion smoke — makes me slightly loopy, but that kind of helps with some powerful inadvertent spin moves. Somewhat helpful.

Spiky leafs next to the zucchini smoke — smells like charred raccoon and makes my eyes water. No help at all.

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Jackson said he had varying effects on his performance, so the only reasonable explanation is that he smoked various weeds at different points in his career. I, for one, encourage this kind of behavior and think it’s neat. Imagine if there was some other weed one could smoke. I bet Stephen Jackson knows about it, and he bet he would smoke that one too.

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