By BFS
THE UTAH JAZZ COMMENT ON DRUGS Mike Brown: Mike grew up ina ghetto in Newark, New Jersey with only his mother. Mike had plenty of opportunities to get involved with drugs and states, “You don’t have to be a product of your environment.” I asked Mike, “But what about peer pressure?” He responded, “I didn’t have to worry about peer pressure.” Startled by this unusual response, I asked, “Why not?” Mike’s answer speaks volumes. “Because I was the leader.” We agreed that everyone should make his own shadow. Everyone should think for themselves and that everyone should attempt to be a leader towards a positive way of life. Jim Les: Get high on life and success.
You have to live wth yourself, Let people judge you for what you are; not what they want you to be.
Jim Farmer: I'd advise anyone to stay away from drugs. All it does is hurt you. Karl Malone: “You gotta say ‘No’ but there's a right way and a wrong way to say ‘No’. If you say it firmly like you mean it, then people will leave you alone.” Thur! Bailey: “There's no place for drugs. You’ ve got to dream for greatness. You gotta do more than say “No”. think about drugs.” Eric Leckner: “Drugs detract from your goals.”
Jose Ortiz: “Dangerous!” Bobby Hansen: “Now that I have a oven, it is even more important for me to help all kids stay drug free.” Marc Iavaroni: “No!” Mark Eaton: Mark was the NBA spokesman in 1986-87 in the “Say No to Drugs” campaign. “What makes things really scary,” said Eaton, “is that you've got no guarantee about the purity ofa drug gotten from the street. Your personal welfare is absolutely no concern of a dealer. As far as I’m concerned, you might as well swallow a bottle of “Draino”. with drugs.” Darrell GrifÏth: “Peer pressure is what does it” said Darrell GrifÏth between sets in the weight room. Then he sensed I wanted to talk deeper about the subject.
Darrell has studued the drug problems in his community and the nation as a whole. Then, he said what was in his heart “Drugs are a slow way of committing suicide. It’s like torture for yourself and your family. Greg, the government doesn’t understand some things about the drug business. First of all, its the #1 business in the world. You take a young man who's been trying to get a decent job for a couple of years and sees his family in poverty, you can understand the temptation to get involved in drugs. Hey, when all a guy has to do is deliver a few packages and he gets $5,000 cash per week you're never gonna stop it.
People were always after me to get into drugs. Fortunately, I turned right, but a lot of my buddies turned left. buddies I used to shoot marbles with when | was a little kid who are buried in a cemetary next to my house in Louisville. You've got to be willing to take some name calling for awhile. It happened to me. People would call me all kinds of names for not doin’ drugs but after awhile it stopped and [ was never bothered again.”
From BFS Magazine — Summer 1989. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
