Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson has joined forces with soccer star Alex Morgan, motorsports star Travis Pastrana and skateboard star Paul Rodriguez in launching a CBD brand called Just Live. The athletes hope to provide sports and fitness enthusiasts with a natural alternative to painkillers for recovery.
Thompson, who missed the 2019-20 season after suffering a left ACL injury during the 2019 Finals, is the first active NBA player to partner with and launch a CBD brand. CBD (cannabidiol) is an active ingredient in cannabis.
“After being injured and with what I want to do with the rest of my career and how I want to prepare myself off the court, you want to take more organic and natural ways of healing instead of in the past, whether it was opioids or some kind of prescribed medicines prepared for me,” Thompson told The Undefeated. “It’s organic. It’s a natural way with CBD. I think in a way that is the future.”
A three-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star with the Warriors, Thompson says he is a strong believer in natural forms of recovery and pain relief over painkillers that can have long-term side effects on the body and mind. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard says he has been relying on Just Live’s CBD products for the past six months to aid in his recovery and relieve pain.
Thompson recently talked to The Undefeated about his involvement with the CBD brand, his recovery from injury and a pending return to the court with the Warriors.
Why do you think the NBA supported you being the first active player backing CBD?
The stigma behind it has always been it’s a drug or something you are smoking. But it comes in so many forms. The NBA is pretty progressive, as it’s shown over the summer with social justice and in other aspects. The NBA is leading by example by being progressive-minded. It’s great for sport. There are so many natural properties. It doesn’t have to be smoked. It can be applied as cream or used as pills, and it has hot-cold remedies as lotion. It’s a natural way of healing.
It’s pretty cool for the NBA. Not only in basketball, but in other sports guys are dependent on alcohol, opioids, or painkillers or some type of drug that doesn’t often help. You can take this naturally, and it applies to any athlete in the NBA from any demographic as a great natural way to relieve pain and enjoy a nice night of sleep.
How has CBD helped you in your road to recovery from a major knee injury?
It has helped with sleep. I’m sleeping eight hours now and I really need that. It has helped with performance. It has definitely helped me with body aches that I have had on a daily basis. As an athlete you want to give your best and push yourself, that comes with pain. It goes hand in hand with what it is doing for me. I’ve only used it for a few months, but it definitely helps.
What would you say to a parent apprehensive about allowing their children using a CBD product?
It’s understandable because they might think there is some addictive properties in it. … But from a personal aspect, it’s like taking an aspirin or Tylenol for headache medicine or a body ache. It’s the same exact thing in a different way.
The Warriors hosted a voluntary minicamp in San Francisco from Sept. 23 through Oct. 6. It marked the first time you participated in competition since injuring your knee. How did it go for you?
The first day I felt a little rusty. My jumper was going right. My jumper was going left. I’m getting beat back door. I’m getting beat on closeouts. The conditioning aspect was tough. And then by the time the rust gets off, you start playing basketball, moving around, seeing shots go in, it is like night and day. It makes you appreciate the game. Seeing my teammates was great. It was so fun being there.
What do you miss most about playing?
Just the competition. It’s so fun. There is nothing like playoff basketball. … You miss that. You miss the journey of having a chance to win a championship. It’s the basketball I miss. The accolades will always be there. But what I miss most about it is the travel and seeing our fans on the road. That has been pretty special the last nine years.
While away from the NBA bubble, Warriors players have continued to fight against social injustice and police brutality. But what did you think about the social justice movement in the bubble?
Definitely wish we could have been a part of it. But we continued using our platform back home. That is why I was so proud of [Warriors guard] Juan [Toscano-Anderson] with his peaceful protest and people from the whole Warriors organization doing what we did in Oakland the past few months. I was proud of it.
There has been speculation that the 2020-21 NBA season can start as early as late December. How do you prepare for a season in which you are uncertain when it will begin?
Whenever the season does start, we will all be ready. It is our job to stay ready. So, it is not that big of a deal.
