‘I’d Be Dead, Without Question’: Stephen A. Smith Shares Powerful Story Of Drug Dealers Protecting Him As A Kid

“Stay off the weed” is a famous Stephen A. Smith catchphrase that the sports host has repeatedly used whenever a pro athlete gets in trouble for cannabis use. Smith recently said he follows what he preaches, having never tried marijuana.

“I have no problem with weed for medicinal purposes, and I have no problem for those who use it as long as it doesn’t cost you your money,” Smith told The Ringer’s Kyle Brandt. “If it doesn’t diminish your pockets, do what you wanna do … but if the league is taking your money with fines and suspensions, all because you can’t stay off the weeeeeeed, then I have no sympathy for you.”

Smith said his desire to stay away from weed, stems from his New York upbringing surrounded by drug use. “I saw the detrimental impact it had on my family, friends, loved ones. I grew up with a lot of cats that were in the drug game.”

Smith added that half of his childhood friends are either dead or in prison because of drugs. “I don’t condemn those brothers and sisters because they protected me, they’re the ones who kept me out of the game, if it wasn’t for them along with my family, I probably would’ve been in the game.”

“Drug dealers themselves would not allow it,” Smith continued. “When I was about 12 years old, I walked up to a drug dealer [with an interest in dealing], he slapped me and said ‘you ever come to me with that nonsense again I’m gonna whip your ass’ he wasn’t playing, he meant it.”

Recognizing his desire to get a basketball scholarship, local drug dealers used to let Smith practice at a nearby court, before letting him know when it was time to get out of there. Smith ultimately attended Winston-Salem State University on a basketball scholarship, where he graduated with a degree in mass communications.

Brandt asked Smith if they would be having this conversation without the protection of those drug dealers.

“There’s no way on earth that would have ever been a life for me. I’d be dead. Without question, I wouldn’t be here” Smith answered.

Watch above via, The Ringer

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