Michael Beasley is among those players who left a lot to be desired when it comes to their NBA journey. The once highly touted prospect found himself struggling to adapt to the life of pros, and even though he treated fans to some of his signature high-scoring explosions where he looked like the guy who could take on the entire league, those moments were far and few in between.
However, one thing that definitely played a part in why his career didn't unfold the way many projected is the simple fact that he dealt with the "weed stigma" basically from the moment he stepped into the Association. And according to Beasley, it all started when he was just a careless teenager.
"I got caught when I was 13. Put on house arrest. And I had just stopped playing for DC Assault (AAU team). I'm on house arrest for like a month. The last weekend my mom cut the monitor off and I flew to Atlanta. Played in a tournament. I came back and Monday I had to be in court… They was going to lock me up until I was 21," Basley explained in his recent appearance on "Run Your Race" podcast.
At the time, Beasley was in eighth grade and playing for the iconic DC Assault AAU program, one of the hotspots for the best young talent in the country. But while he was climbing the national rankings, he was also caught red-handed with illegal substances and breaking the law, including stealing cars, destroying property, and other, as he called them, "dumb mistakes."
Since he was on house arrest, but a tournament came up that he simply had to play in, his mother improvised and removed the monitor so young Beasley could go to Atlanta and compete. And he did.
Right after that tournament, Beasley was ranked among the very best in the country, regardless of class, running just behind the iconic names like Dwight Howard and JR Smith. The competition was stacked, but Beasley was showing signs of being the next big thing in the league for years to come.
Mostly because of this and the fact that the judge recognized that young Michael was actually "doing something with his life" regarding basketball, he was given probation rather than being sent straight to jail. However, even though he avoided prison, the real problems just followed from there.
"Instead of jail, I got probation 'till I was 21. I was in the NBA on probation, 'till I was 25 actually… From that point on everybody that ever seen me said, I was always high," he pointed out.
From the moment he was selected as the second pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, the weed and thug stigma have just gotten louder, and every mistake he made was automatically linked to using illegal substances. It drove "B-Eazy" to the point of no return. Every bad game, every wrong smile, or any move fans didn't like was assumed to be because Beasley was getting high.
However, as he himself admitted, it was far from the truth. Every Monday, he had to be tested. He lived under constant supervision and endured constant criticism from naysayers.
"Now I'm back pissig every Monday from 21 to 25. And this is why I hate the world, 'cause from 21 to 25 I couldn't smoke…" Beas added.
Even though Beasley didn't meet the expectations placed on him as a modern, do-it-all scorer, the 6'9" forward managed to survive and show flashes of brilliance. In the end, he carved out an 11-year career in the Association and battled through circumstances that many didn't see.
Related: Michael Beasley reveals why he decided to go to Kansas State: "I promised to follow D-Hill"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
