Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 at 9:30 am  |  77 responses

Former Bulls Deny Jay Williams’ Claim of Weed Smoking Prior to Games


Jay Williams was beautifully profiled by the NY Times over the weekend, and the story contained all types of stunning details. According to Williams, whose NBA career was cut short due to a motorcyle accident, some of his former teammates in Chicago used to smoke up before playing in games. Unsurprisingly, a few members of the 2002-03 Bulls stood up and refuted the claim. Per the NY Daily News and Chicago Tribune: “Nah, I don’t know why he would say something like that,’ Tyson Chandler said. ‘I think that’s ridiculous that he would come out and say something like that,’ Chandler went on. ‘I don’t remember that, to be honest with you. And, it’s just unfortunate that he would make that kind of statement about our team.’ [...] ‘I didn’t know how to handle it at first,’ Jay Williams said in the report. ‘I didn’t know how to be around it. Guys were on the bench, trying to kick it to girls in the stands, having ball boys run over. I mean, some guys were high.’ Asked to explain what he meant, he said: ‘There were guys smoking weed before games. Guys asking in the middle of the game, ‘Do you smell popcorn.’ [...] ‘I like Jay, but when you make blanket statements, you incriminate everyone,’ said Rick Brunson, currently a Bobcats assistant coach. ‘You have to look in the mirror first: ‘Did I contribute to some of those things?’ Your career didn’t go the way it should’ve gone. Let it go. You’re doing a great job on ESPN. You should be honored and blessed the Bulls paid you.’ [...] ‘My thing is, why say these things now?’ said Donyell Marshall, one of the team leaders from 2002-03. ‘You don’t need to be making people assume. You’re messing up situations for other people. Now, instead of Fred (Hoiberg, coach of Iowa State) focusing on the NCAA tournament or whatever, he’s got to deal with that (crap).’ According to a league spokesman, the NBA had marijuana testing in place during the 2002-03 season.”

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , , ,

Newer Comments →
  • pposse

    E Rob comes to mind, but this is stupid Jay Williams lookin for some attention

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Sanchez

    foolishness

  • spit hot fiyah

    courie blount was on that team…

  • spit hot fiyah

    i can’t wait for jalen rose to speak on this on the grantland podcast, he was on the team that season

  • brick

    I’m sure he was talking about that fat lazy slob Eddie Curry. Still, why speak on this now unless you want attention? Most of those guys were young and dumb. Guys like Chandler grew up a lot since those days. Williams seems like a bitter beyotch angry that some of those guys finally got their ish together while his career ended before it ever really began.

  • Mike Mihalow

    ‘I don’t remember that, to be honest with you’.

    Chandler must have been REALLY high.

  • Omar

    Marcus Fizer.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert
  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    lol i spit up my vitamin water in class u assss

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    nah Eddy was clean…strictly cheeseburgers

  • King David

    LOL jamal crawford was just a rookie smh

  • The Philosopher

    Meh…
    Dennis Rodman was telling the same story about his generation of players getting high on drugs, on the company’s watch. And how, HE was getting high on drugs, on the company’s watch.

  • Hussman25

    It’s widely known guys in the L smoke, it’s WIDELY known guys send ball boys for chicks numbers. He’s not saying anything that’s unknown. No one is gonna admit they were blowin (and its not like any of the guys would get in trouble 10 years after the fact?) The comment was made in reference to the culture of the NBA when he entered & how different it was from his time at Duke. What does he have to gain from making this statement; it’s not like he’s close to any of his teammates from that Bulls Team anyway (none came to visit him once he got hurt per the article & it’s not like he’s probably friendly with any now…) He’s just made a comment most NBA fans already know & probably many bulls fans were probably thinking during that time.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    look, the NBA drug policy is a joke. this is how it works.
    .
    - each player is tasked with taking 3 “random” drug tests in each season.
    - most player’s are finished with their drug testing before christmas.
    - after your 3rd test, there is NO THREAT of a followup test
    - So, the players take their 3rd test and just start smoking again. And it’s been rumored that as much as 40% of NBA player’s smoke pot.
    .
    .
    I heard this from a player, who is currently playing in the NBA.

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Sanchez

    hahah

  • Happy

    It’s the most lax of the three major U.S sports leagues for sure. It’s how so many NBA players get away with HGH and other PEDs use.

  • Comment_System

    hey man we dont like your logic round these parts.

  • RayJr

    I agree with Donyell Marshall. True or false, why bring this up? I mean what’s the point for him saying all this? It’s not like he didn’t find a good job after his basketball career was cut short and has to do a tell all book to make some cash. Pointless to throw people under the bus like this so many years later.

  • KoloradoKobe

    Former Bulls to Jay Williams: “Stop snitching; you messin up our money.”

  • pposse

    how can HGH or PED’s help perform better in basketball?

  • Lorne

    How wouldn’t they? I think you should read up in HGH and other PEDS. If you knew anything about them you wouldn’t be asking that question.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    You are kidding right?

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Lol people don’t like this comment? Or the rules the NBA uses?

  • Ugh

    Just because Donyell Marshall looks stoned all the time doesn’t mean he was tokin’ – it’s just the shape of his face.

  • pposse

    i did. I looked on a couple forums, and no one seems to have a clear explanation on how HGH would help a basketball player.

    How wouldn’t they? I don’t see a PED help someone shoot the basketball better.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    Nice one

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    Anything that makes you get faster and stronger with less work can help you in any sport. David Stern is the greatest liar in the world when he convinced people that being bigger and stronger with less work isn’t that important in basketball.
    Really? So LeBron doesn’t benefit from being an athletic marvel? Or Dwight? Or Rose or Westbrook? I’m not saying any of those guys are juicing, but I’m saying that if you want to increase your natural talent, PEDS work no matter what sport you play.

  • Lorne

    Forums? Why don’t you just read what they do. If you can’t figure it out from there then you’ve got issues bruh.

  • Lorne

    So what you are saying is, you don’t see how HGH could help players heal faster from injuries that usually end careers? You don’t see how guys being bigger and stronger helps in the NBA. You don’t see how increased speed helps explosive drives? You don’t see how increased strenght

  • pposse

    like i said nowhere does it state they help you shoot a basketball better bruh..the one with issues is the one witholding information and dare come at someone with a question with a rhetorical one after your forefather did the same damn thing before you.

    If you want to add to the conversation and tell me something like it helps in recovery time or something.

  • pposse

    there you go, atleast you are trying to help out..but your still a condesending dickhead…some things never change

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    The question you are asking is foolish. He sounds like a condescending dickhead because it just takes common sense to answer the question. Unless you really are naive enough to think the only thing that matters in basketball is shooting

  • Lorne

    Okay, lemme make this simple: increased strength equals increased shooting range.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    what are you talking about of course it does

  • fruizm

    They were getting high on drugs??!!

  • pposse

    http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/50443/tell-me-the-nba-has-no-doping

    my original question came from the same perspective as the writer of this article.

  • Happy

    Looking at forums of guys discussing PEDs isn’t the same as looking up the actual substances and their effects counts as reading up on the subject, buddy. If you are stronger and faster than your opponents, wouldn’t that give you an advantage in basketball?

    PEDs help in shooting is the same as it’s help in hitting a baseball. No, it won’t increase hand-eye coordination, but it will increase your strength and allow the ball to travel further. It takes strength to shoot from a distance, and it takes strength to drive to the hole without getting stripped at the basket.

  • Hussman25

    ::shrugs shoulders:: Sorry

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    And in that article Henry Abbot says he felt like an idiot for even thinking they wouldn’t help. Did you even read it genius?

  • TR

    If I was in the league i would be huge on blood doping. I’d take the stamina over anything else.

  • pposse

    i did..you need to stop filling in the blanks with what you think people mean.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Say what you mean. Don’t imply it. That’s the first rule in not expressing your feelings like a woman.

  • Jamaican American

    I’ve smoked piff and ran 10 miles afterwards. Williams is a punk, typical of any Dukie that can’t hack it in the NBA

  • pposse

    i asked a simple question, only to get a silly/ childlike response from you, it was only a question you clown.

    Let your wife raise your child slim, you don’t want your seed to turn out like you, stay away its for your own good, dealing with you is like dealing with a teenaged smart ass. Sleep on it clown boy.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Well that was a mature response. Sure showed me genius.

  • pposse

    your the model of maturity.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Oh my favorite sequel the imbecile strikes back. I’m not the one talking about child like responses and another persons abilities as a father in a comment section you dumb f*ck. I’m calling you stupid. Which my daughter likely won’t need to worry about, as she is getting my brain, and not yours.

  • pposse

    just wait

    OR

    do as i say and let your wife do the child raising slim, its your decision

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Lol. Oh no, the local idiot from the Internet thinks he is smart enough to judge me as a person because of some comments…..on the internet. Sigh, I better abandon my child and consider the likelihood that drugs that can make you a super human wont help in a sport where being uber athletic, and tireless helps considerably. Genius.

  • pposse

    I am, and I did slim.

    Thank me later.

Newer Comments →
Advertisement