NBA All-Star Kevin Durant is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but he’s also been the sport’s biggest advocate for the legalization of marijuana within the league. From walking into NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s office smelling like weed to partnering with Weedmaps, here is our spotlight on Kevin Durant.
Born in Washington, D.C., Kevin Durant seemingly has an innate nag for politicking and lobbying, especially when it comes to changing the perception and stigma surrounding marijuana in professional sports. On top of being a two-time NBA Champion, multiple time All-Star, and accumulating more than twenty major awards during his tenure in the league, Durant is also the MVP of cannabis advocacy in the National Basketball Association.
Not only has Durant made it abundantly clear that he’s high all the time and those close to him claim he “smokes more than you probably think”, KD even personally lobbied the NBA to remove marijuana from the banned substances list for all players. In a bold and calculated move, Durant claims that during one meeting, the official even caught a whiff of cannabis on him. He explained that Commissioner Adam Silver understood the situation and understood the negativity surrounding marijuana has diminished, especially in athletes. Durant believes the ban has become a global issue and that the stigma behind cannabis products is no longer as negative as it once was, and shouldn’t negatively affect players.
Largely due to Durant’s bold move, the National Basketball Players Association, signed a new collective bargaining agreement, which removed cannabis from its list of banned substances. Players have not been subject to random tests for cannabis since the 2019-20 season. Other US sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and Ultimate Fighting Championship, have relaxed their cannabis policies in recent years. As Durant has pointed out in countless interviews, “everyone is doing it”, and how can you argue with one of the top point-scorers in the league?
Durant took his cannabis advocacy a step further when he announced that his VC firm Thirty Five Ventures had formed a partnership with tech platform Weedmaps to combat misconceptions about cannabis and its use in sports. The deal includes a sponsorship agreement with Durant's sports media network, Boardroom, a dedicated section on Weedmaps, and ongoing integrations with the outlet and its Out of Office podcast. The companies have collaborated on the production of original content and media and Durant has expressed excitement about the potential to parallel the sports world with cannabis stories. The strategic partnership aims to deconstruct negative stereotypes associated with cannabis and elevate the conversation around its potential for athlete wellness and recovery. Kevin Durant and Weedmaps have both consistently been at the forefront of change in the industry and their multi-year agreement will continue to push cannabis culture leaps and bounds in the right direction.
It’s hard to deny the obvious when the best athletes and players from every sport are all saying cannabis is a good thing. The NBA will be much better off with first-ballot Hall Of Famers like Kevin Durant making moves and taking initiative in destigmatizing the funk of marijuana in sports.
