Brad Miller Breaks His Weed Smokin’ Silence

I have some terribly strong feelings about Brad Miller’s issues with weed. Actually, they’re more strong feelings about how uninterested people seems in—gasp—a white NBA player who apparently burns a ton of bud.↵
↵
↵So far, Miller’s said nothing of substance to the public, other than a by-the-numbers apology that’s not even worth linking to. But today in the Bee’s Kings Blog, the big man breaks the silence to let us all inside his trial, tribulations, and challenges ahead. Some choice quotes:↵↵⇥Obviously, I know I’m an idiot for putting myself in this situation. Sometimes things have to get really bad before I fix things in my life, and that’s (how) it’s been my whole life.↵⇥
↵⇥
↵⇥All the stress gets to you, and this is one way to take my mind off of everything. I’ll look for something different. I don’t like sleeping pills - that’s my biggest problem. Whether it’s some sort of vitamin or something that can help as well. I want to talk to [the doctors] and find some help.↵⇥
↵⇥
↵⇥I have normal Brad and the when-I-get-on-that-court Brad. It’s a battle all the time to get that balance between the two. People meet me, and they’re like, ‘Man, you’re not laid back.’ Well that’s because you never met me off the court.↵↵

He’s also going to enter therapy, in part to sort out some family stuff. There’s also a sickening softball where Amick says, more or less, “Josh Howard says he doesn’t want to change, but you do.” And Miller, who is now obligated by the league to at least give this impression, says he’s calmed down a lot anyway, was once much worse, and having a kid has certainly made him reassess his intake.↵
↵
↵Just curious: Has anyone ever done this kind of interview with an African-American player in this situation? Miller and Amick downplay the evil drug addict angle, mentioning it only to dismiss it. Maybe it’s because it’s Brad Miller, in Sacramento, and no one cares enough to be outraged. But seriously, even getting a lengthy, uncut, sympathetic conversation on record, without any hint of “gotcha” to it, is a coup for someone in this situation. He explains why he smokes, we say “that makes sense,” and he says he’s now going to make the effort to find a substitute. And Lamar Odom has to endure years of bong jokes.↵