Matt Barnes Says He Smoked Weed Before Virtually Every Game And I’d Honestly Be More Surprised If He Hadn’t

matt barnes smoked weed before games

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Unless your official job title is “Marijuana Critic”, there’s a very good chance your employer doesn’t encourage you to get high before coming into work, and if they do, consider me jealous.

With that said, if you’ve ever worked in the service industry (or with Seth Rogan), then you’re probably well aware there are more than a few people out there who don’t see a problem with doing their job while under the influence.

When you consider the stakes, you’d think NBA players would want to take the court with a clear mind (and a full heart) but that didn’t stop Stephen Jackson from smoking before games.

While he’s never admitted it, there are a number of people out there who wouldn’t exactly be shocked to learn J.R. Smith has lit a blunt or seven before a matchup (or after one).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73AX8npuKPY

However, neither of those guys has anything on Matt Barnes, who recently admitted he smoked before virtually every game during his time in the NBA (as well as college… and high school).

According to TMZ, Barnes sat down with podcaster Van Lathan and described his pregame ritual, which involved sparking up a joint before taking a nap and heading to the arena.

He also recounted the first time he smoked weed before a game back in high school when he somehow managed to go off in a tournament after hitting a gravity bong.

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Barnes previously addressed his marijuana use with Rich Eisen earlier this year and admitted he was “medicated” before all of his best games but neglected to mention he was also probably a tad stoned for his worst ones as well.

He’s also shed some major light on just how prevalent weed is in the NBA and called out the executives who partake in the pastime while fining and suspending players for doing the same.

Barnes credits the drug for allowing him to function better than he does at his baseline and remains a vocal advocate concerning the benefits of the drug.

When you consider he lasted for 15 years in the NBA, he might be onto something.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible and a Boston College graduate currently based in New England. He has spent close to 15 years working for multiple online outlets covering sports, pop culture, weird news, men's lifestyle, and food and drink.