Former NBA player Al Harrington wants to get in on the marijuana industry. And it all started, surprisingly, with his grandma.
“She suffered from glaucoma and diabetes...I was reading about all the medicinal benefits of cannabis, and I said that she should try it,” Harrington told Cheddar.
Initially his grandmother resisted, but after her very first try she was already feeling a lot better. “She inspired me to invest in a company to get into the cannabis space.”
Later this year, Harrington will release his own line of marijuana products aimed at pain relief for athletes, one he created by drawing on his own experiences. He had 14 surgeries throughout his career and told Cheddar that he suffered from chronic pain.
In the next three to five years, the NBA may even remove marijuana from its list of banned substances for players, starting with CBD products, says Harrington.
“Players should have access to...an alternative way of medicating themselves.”
“I’m a firm believer that if I had known this information that I know now, I probably could have played another three years in the NBA,” says Harrington.
Harrington spent 16 years in the league, most recently with the Washington Wizards, before retiring from the Sydney Kings in 2015.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-former-nba-star-al-harrington-is-capitalizing-on-cannabis).
The Drone Racing League kicked off its 2021-2022 world championship season this week. Spanning across 14 different locations over the course of the year, 12 of the world's best drone pilots will be racing against each other to bring home the title. Drone racing has grown in popularity over the past year, with the Drone Racing League seeing an uptick of nearly 200 percent average viewership, 90 percent in virtual drone racing participation and 60 percent fanbase growth over social media. Rachel Jacobson, President of the Drone Racing League, discusses the future of the sport and why she thinks drone racing will soon be on par with traditional sports.
Bill Enright, Editorial Lead for Gambling and Fantasy Content at Sports Illustrated, shares his insight into the strategy behind betting on NFL futures, such as who will win the Super Bowl or MVP award.
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Jeff Stoneback, Director of Trading at BetMGM, discusses his betting insights for Super Bowl LVI futures, and says a pair of NFC East teams could make some noise come playoff time.
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The final Grand Slam tennis tournament of 2021 will be lacking some of its biggest stars including Venus and Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. However, with legendary names missing from the court, it could provide an opportunity for future superstars to shine. Jon Wertheim, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, joined Cheddar to discuss the fallout from the cancellations. "This is tennis' version of the NBA after [Michael] Jordan," he said. "Some Kobe [Bryant] or some LeBron [James] will come along, and we'll have new champions to cheer for."
Cheddar Bets, sponsored by BetMGM, is a first-of-its-kind look at the intersection of sports betting and financial markets with insider intel from BetMGM's oddsmakers.
