The NBA is reportedly removing marijuana from its list of banned substances. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the league will no longer test players for the drug as part of the new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association. The agreement will last for seven years with a mutual opt-out following the sixth year.
The news comes after the NBA temporarily stopped testing for marijuana during the 2019-20 season. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver explained at the time: “We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now. I think society’s views around marijuana has changed to a certain extent.”
There are several other distinct updates with the new CBA as well. Firstly, awards will now require a minimum of 65 games played for qualification. This will hopefully help curb the rise of load management for star players. Additionally, both the league and NBPA have agreed to increase the upper limits on contract extensions from a 120% increase on a current deal to 140%.
The new CBA reportedly also paves the way for a long-rumored in-season tournament that could arrive as soon as the 2023-24 season. With this new format, pool-play games will be incorporated into the regular-season schedule starting in November. Eight teams will then advance to a single elimination tournament the following month. Las Vegas is being discussed as a neutral location to host the final four. The league will award $500,000 per player to the winning team of the in-season tournament.
Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director of the NBPA, said on Twitter, Saturday: “Since day one, the goal of the NBPA in this negotiation was to protect our players, enrich their lives on and off the court, and establish a framework that recognizes our players as true partners with the governors in both the NBA and the business world at large!”
Since day one, the goal of the NBPA in this negotiation was to protect our players, enrich their lives on and off the court, and establish a framework that recognizes our players as true partners with the governors in both the NBA and the business world at large! https://t.co/cZsXJgHw9R
— Tamika Tremaglio (@tamikaNBPA) April 1, 2023
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