Hunter blasts Stern's claim of educational marijuana proposal

NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter blasted
commissioner David Stern's claim that the league has offered a plan of
education regarding reported widespread marijuana use among players, saying
the proposal only deals in punishment.

"David Stern's statements today regarding the union's stance on the NBA
drug policy are unseemly and patently false," Hunter said in a statement
Wednesday. "It is a transparent attempt to sway public opinion and gain an
edge in the upcoming negotiations."

Stern called the NBA's 41page proposal it submitted to the NBPA
"educational," but the plan calls for stiff penalties for marijuana use,
including an automatic sixmonth suspension for a second offense and a
lifetime ban for the distribution of marijuana. A first offense mandates a
fivegame suspension.

Speaking in a scheduled teleconference earlier Wednesday, Stern said the
Players Association had put up a "stone wall" on the issue of marijuana
testing, which the NBA would like to add to the substanceabuse policy in
place under the existing collective bargaining agreement.

"Frankly, we've been unable to get the Players Association to address that
issue," Stern said. "It has been addressed in the sense of what economic
(compensation) would you pass on to us in order to get us to agree.

"It's a perversion. ... We think Billy Hunter does not voice the feelings
or aspirations for sports that many of his colleagues do."

But Hunter's statement denied that the union demanded financial
compensation and appeared to offer evidence contrary to Stern's charges.

"The NBPA is genuinely committed to educating our players to the dangers of
marijuana use," he said. "On October 8th, we announced the launch of a
marijuana education initiative. To accuse us of stonewalling is false and
selfserving."

Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik maintained that the NBA's
proposal was educational, not punitive, in nature.

"It wasn't about let's punish, it was about let's educate," Stern said.

"Stern brazenly stated the NBA has proposed a marijuana policy that does
not emphasize punishment, but information and education," said Hunter's
response. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

The current policy addresses education and punishment for cocaine and
heroin, but not marijuana. The New York Times reported Sunday that as many
as 70 percent of NBA players use marijuana.

"I have no reason to doubt that number, if marijuana is as widely used as
it's said to be used in high school, college and the like," Stern said. "I
don't think it's productive to say, 'It's not 70 percent, it's 30 percent.'
I'll accept the notion that there is use. We didn't need the New York Times
article to focus on the issue."

The NBA recently has adopted a harder line with players who have had
trouble with the law. Guards Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers and
Isaiah Rider of the Portland Trail Blazers received minor suspensions for
pleading guilty to misdemeanor marijuana charges in separate cases this
summer. Iverson received a onegame ban and Rider, who also pleaded guilty
to illegal possession of cellular telephones, was suspended for two games.

"I don't think there's a new code on conduct, but we've become more
aggressive with our teams," Granik said. "We've become more proactive and
expect to continue that way."

"We've asked our players to behave a certain way. We've asked our teams to
behave a certain way," Stern said. "It doesn't seem like too much to ask. I
think our fans can ask a little more of us."

But Hunter believes Stern is posturing in order to gain an upper hand in
potential negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement, which owners
have the option to open come July 1st.

"The truth of the matter is that the NBA wants to install a drug program
which could be used by teams to maximize leverage over players on economic
issues," Hunter said. "We will not allow players to be subjected to
increased scrutiny and further economic leverage by the league because
David Stern seeks to capitalize on recent unsubstantiated media speculation
about players' habits."