When you are a sports player, Drug and alcohol addiction is the thing you need to stay away from the most. It doesn’t only ruin a player professionally but also affects personal life to such an extent that there will be no return. There are many reasons that can lead to addiction. Some players who had difficult childhoods and grew up in bad company during schooling often get addicted to things like smoking and drugs. When they enter the league, players get a lot of fame and money, which makes it more difficult for them to resist. There was a serious problem with the NBA in the 80s and 90s, as many players were suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. In this article, we will tell you about some cases of drug addiction in the NBA.
Shawn Kemp
Kemp was drafted 17th overall in 1989 by the Seattle SuperSonics, and everyone believed that they had found a world beater. “Reign Man” had eight stellar seasons with the Sonics, making five All-Star games in that span. There was also a rumor at the time that Kemp would be sent to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Scottie Pippen, but the trade never succeeded. In 1997, Kemp was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he spent three seasons with them.
During this period, major questions were raised about his mental will towards the game, as his weight problem was a hurdle to his durability. Kemp’s struggles with losing weight led him to being traded to the Trailblazers in 2000. In his first season, Kemp revealed about struggling with both drug and alcohol addiction and ended his season early to check into rehab. He was finally removed in 2002. Kemp was destined to become an all-time great and be considered among the greatest power forwards of all time. But drug and alcohol addiction cut short a long and great career.
Lamar Odom
Odom was drafted fourth overall by the LA Clippers in 1999. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team. He was suspended for violating the league’s drug policy in 2001 and returned after five games. “The Candy Man” moved to the Lakers in 2004 as part of the package that brought Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat and remained there for the next seven seasons. Lamar was an integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers and won two titles with them in 2009 and 2010. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011.
Lamar was arrested for driving under the influence and refused to submit to a chemical test in 2013. He then pleaded guilty to DUI and agreed to get himself into rehab. His wife, Khole Kardashian filed for divorce later that year. In 2015, Odom was found unconscious in a brothel in Nevada. He was in a coma and was kept on life support for some days. Odam is still on the road to recovery but appears to be making progress.
Richard Dumas
Richard was the 46th pick in the NBA draft by the Phoenix Sun, but he was suspended before his NBA career even began. Dumas failed a drug test before the start of training camp and played the first nineteen games of his rookie season in Israel due to his suspension. When he finally came back to the NBA court, there were good signs of a promising player. He averaged 15.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in his rookie season and helped the Suns achieve their best record in the league with 62 wins while reaching the NBA finals as well. Dumas was named to the All-Rookie second team for his great performances.
Three months after the NBA Finals, he was in rehab and retired from the sport at the age of 26. Richard even said that he was bored with basketball. In 2013, he was arrested on eight felony charges of alleged organized retail theft. Dumas claimed that his increased drug use was caused by Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign, which made him more curious.
Len Bias
Len’s incident is probably the most tragic and heartbreaking incident in the history of the NBA and possibly in all sports. Bias never got a chance to start his career. He was one of the most popular prospects in the 1986 draft and was selected second overall by the Boston Celtics. The tragedy happened when Bias died two days later because of a cocaine overdose. He spent his college career playing at the University of Maryland. During this time, there were comparisons drawn to Michael Jordan because of his jumping ability, playmaking skills, and overall skill on the court. He was named ACC athlete of the Year and ACC player of the Year twice. Red Auerbach said that the city of Boston had not been in such a shock since the assassination of John F. Kennedy. On June 30, 1986, the Celtics honored Len Bias with their own memorial service and gave his never-used #30 jersey to his mother, Lonise.
David Thompson
David Thompson was first drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1975. He played nine seasons in the NBA. Thompson was also selected to four All-Star Games. He also won All-Star Game MVP in 1979. “Skywalker” averaged 22.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in his NBA career. He was Michael Jordan’s idol growing up. It seemed as if he was on his way to becoming one of the greatest players on the court. Thompson reached his prime in 1978, when he scored 73 points in the season finale against the Detroit Pistons.
In the following season, Thompson signed a record-breaking $40 million contract over five years. This was the highest payment ever paid to any player at the time. From that point on, injuries related to his substance abuse led to the downfall of his career. Thompson’s NBA career ended in the 1983–84 season when he suffered a serious knee injury while partying at the notorious Studio 54 in New York. He was pushed down the stairs under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, with the encouragement of a pastor, he became a committed Christian and reorganized his life. He even attended his old school in North Carolina thirty years later and completed his degree in sociology.
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