He has spent his career terrorizing opposing players. Former basketball player Ben Wallace, four-time defender of the year and Hall of Famer in the NBA, converts… to cannabis. He launched his own brand Undrafted. A direct reference to the fact that the former kingpin was never ‘drafted’, i.e. selected at the draft, the moment when NBA teams choose their future players among young nuggets. Normally, undrafted players struggle to make a career… but Ben Wallace has taken a nice revenge on his fate.
For Undrafted, Wallace partners with Rair, a small chain of five dispensaries. She is based… in Michigan, a state that legalized cannabis at the end of 2019. Again, this is a direct reference to her basketball career, since Big Ben spent his finest hours at the Pistons in Detroit, Michigan. In tribute to his career, the Pistons have also retired Wallace’s number 3.
At this time, we don’t have any details on the products launched between the former Piston and Rair. But this brand specializes in aeroponics, so that gives a pretty accurate clue. The launch will be official on April 1, tells us the website of the joint venture.
Many ex-NBA players converted to cannabis
“Cannabis has helped ease my pain and stress during my athletic career. It’s no secret that cannabis is a treatment of choice for athletes, and those who suffer from pain. So with this Undrafted brand, I will continue to put an end to the bad image associated with cannabis”promises the former pivot in a press release.
No more retraining as a television consultant at the end of his career. The new fashion among NBA players seems to be the launch of a cannabis brand. In addition to Ben Wallace, we can cite Paul Pierce, champion with the Boston Celtics in 2008; former SuperSonics player Shawn Kemp; or Al Harrington, associated with the legend Allen Iverson for the Viola brand.
At the same time, the NBA is greatly relaxing its rules related to the use of cannabis. While Wallace, Pierce or Iverson risked suspension matches and a fine for cannabis consumption, current NBA players are no longer subject to drug tests. Cannabis remains officially banned in the league, but there are no longer any controls.