OAKLEY: UP TO 60 PERCENT OF PLAYERS USE MARIJUANA

AUBURN HILLS--Charles Oakley says the league has gone to pot. Literally.

In a stunning declarative that was washed aside by the flood of trades last
Thursday, Oakley, the Toronto Raptors forward, told the New York Post that
as much as 60 percent of the league's players smoke marijuana and that,
"You've got guys out there playing high every night."

If what he says is true, then the league is getting cleaner. Remember a
couple of years ago the New York Times did a survey that said 70 percent of
the players were getting high.

And at that time, Grant Hill -- the former Piston now with the Magic -- and
other players said the numbers seemed about right.

So, we're down to 60 percent. Hoo-ha.

Personally, I don't see evidence of that. Do some players get high? Of
course. Do people you work with get high? Of course.

Are they high during games? Well, all jokes aside about how that would
explain the Pistons' inconsistencies, I don't see it.

And if they are, then Commissioner David Stern should just pack up his tent
and his multi-billion dollar business and go home. Because if these guys are
fools enough to jeopardize the integrity of this gravy train they've got
going here, then they don't deserve it. Put them out on the street with the
rest of us and see how they get by in the real world.

And I think that is closer to Oakley's point. Whether they are ruining
themselves with the drugs, or not bothering to master the fundamentals, the
bottom line is, too many players today don't respect the game.

"In the old days, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird worked for everything they
got," Oakley said. "They worked hard on their game. You've got young guys
now, they don't work on their game like that. Everybody rolls the red carpet
out, and here they come running down it in a Bentley or Rolls Royce as if
it's their time, but it's not like that."

Oakley did not back off from his claim.

"It's over 50 and once you go over 50 you've got to go to the next number,
60," he said. "(When he first broke into the league) there might have been
one out of six (players smoking marijuana). Now it's six out of 12."

Oakley also called the league's drug testing policy a joke. Rookies are
tested three times their first year while veterans are tested only once a
year.

"You test a guy, he gets high the next day," Oakley said. "There's no
respect for the game no more. It's a problem. You know, you try to teach
through public announcements, 'Don't use drugs.' Things like that, but drugs
are a major issue."

Oakley, as he always does, drew a mixed response. Stern told him that if he
had any facts to back up his numbers, then he should report them to the
league and to the players association.

New Jersey's Lucious Harris said, "The thing is, how does he know? Where did
he get that from? I don't think it's that high. I don't think it's that
(widespread) of a problem, and I'm sure nobody is going to admit they have a
problem."

Mark Jackson said, "I know I'm high -- on life and God. I bet 60 percent of
you guys (reporters) behind the camera and microphones (use marijuana). It's
not just a problem in professional sports."

Jackson left Oakley and the Raptors this week in a trade that returned him
to the Knicks.