Via USA Today

Former NBA superstar Shawn Kemp recently revealed having smoked marijuana during his playing days, which comes as no surprise. But the erstwhile Seattle SuperSonics high flyer claims his contemporaries back then used the drug as well, with some players doing it so they didn’t have to pop pills.

“When I played, absolutely we smoked pot back in the day when we played,” Kemp told TMZ Sports. “We was responsible with it but we definitely smoked. … Sometimes guys don’t like to pop the pills, some guys, they don’t wanna take those chances, so this is another way of taking care of yourself professionally, with doing it the right way.”

Kemp, a six-time NBA All-Star, says marijuana was the perfect solution for pain. He opened a dispensary in Seattle – where recreational marijuana use is legal – last week.

It’s also believed that the NBA could allow its athletes to use marijuana in the near future.