Earl Watson is quickly becoming a media favorite for political opinions.
It appears that Golden State Warriors Head Coach and former Phoenix Suns General Manager Steve Kerr and current Suns Head Coach Earl Watson do not see eye-to-eye on the topic of marijuana use in the NBA, regardless of the context of the use.
Kerr, who on Saturday admitted to using marijuana twice in vein over the past 18 months to help relieve himself of dibilitating back pain, broached the topic of whether or not the NBA, and the nation as a whole, should better inform themselves of the medicinal benefits of marijuana, in contrast to the potentially dangerous side effects of prescription drugs.
Earl Watson, however, see’s the issue from a broader angle noting that prior to national consent through law and approval, when athletes take a public stand on the use of marijuana, it can be influential to some younger people who see athletic consent as an excuse for use.
Articulating that he believes that athletic consent prior to legalization is a “slippery-slope,” Watson keels in mind the area he grew up in and the kids he grew up around as reason for his caution on the matter.
This past summer, TMZ informally polled ten active NBA players on whether or not their employer should legalize marijuana finding that all ten agreed it is time.
The discussion of legalizing marijuana among athletes has grown over recent years as many players throughout all sporting venues have become addicted to or felt long-term side effects from the drugs after years of pain and usage.
Former NBA point guard Jay Williams believes that 75-80% of NBA players use marijuana arguing that the effects of a prescription drug such as OxyContin can be far more hazardous to ones health than marijuana, admitting his own addition to the prescription drug for five years. WIlliams describes that many athletes use marijuana in one form or another on a regular basis for the relief of inflammation as well as anxiety.
According to a recent Pew Poll, approximately 57% of U.S. adults believe that marijuana should be legalized, although following the Presidential election, those polls should definitely not be taken as gospel.
To read more fully Coach Kerry’s thoughts regarding marijuana, read here.
To read more fully Coach Watson’s thoughts regarding marijuana, read here.
Not Their First Time Speaking Out
The topic of marijuana use by athletes was not the first that either Kerr nor Watson had spoken out publically about a political issue of national interest.
Following the 2016 Presidential election, both head coaches took their positions with media prominence to perclaim their opinions on the results.
Steve Kerr “ranted” for about two minutes exclaiming his disappointment in the outcome. He said that his team discussed the results the following morning and it appeared that most at least shared his perspective.
Earl Watson spoke for about nine minutes on the results, although spoke through a prism of positivity proclaiming that “… Love has no color, has no race. You can’t tell me what color love is. It has no gender. It just is. It’s an energy that’s contagious.”
To read more fully about Coach Kerr’s thoughts regarding the election, read here.
To read more fully about Coach Watson’s thoughts regarding the election, read here.
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