Veteran guard J.J. Barea has returned to his native Puerto Rico, having signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce, as our JD Shaw relays (via Twitter). The return of Barea, who previously played for the club in 2006, coincided with an announcement that the team is now co-owned by Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny.
After being waived by the Mavericks in December, Barea spent most of the 2020/21 season with Estudiantes in Spain, having just left the club earlier this month. The 36-year-old was previously said to be determined to make it back to the NBA, but either those plans changed or there were no opportunities available. Instead, he’ll head back to Puerto Rico, where his professional career first begin in 2001.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Candace Buckner of The Washington Post spoke to several NBA players about the unprecedented restrictions and regulations in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that made the 2020/21 season a lonely and taxing one.
- The NBA has halted its random tests for marijuana use since the 2019/20 season went on hiatus last March, but the 57 players who are candidates to represent Team USA in the Olympics will be subject to marijuana testing as of next Tuesday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. According to Vardon, a league memo informing teams of the policy suggests that players who will represent other countries in the Olympics should check with team officials to see if they’ll be subject to the same tests.
- The Overtime Elite basketball league for top high school prospects will operate out of Atlanta beginning this September, the league announced today in a press release. According to the announcement, planning is underway to construct a new 103,000-square-foot facility where OTE’s players will train, study, and compete. We previously shared some details on the new program, which hired former NBA guard Kevin Ollie as its head coach.
Meanwhile opioids and alcohol are freely available and encouraged
I’m under the impression that it takes months to purge THC from your system. Which would mean that many of the 57 might fail a drug test
Why would it take months? Maybe it would for someone who smokes every hour of the day and is high 24/7 like Cheech & Chong. A few days should suffice for these guys and they probably use some type of cleanser to help clear their systems.
Yeah body fat plays a big role and these guys don’t usually have much fat.
Most people can get clean results in 2 weeks, professional athletes probably much quicker.
@implant that type of paranoia is a sign that maybe you’re smoking too much weed
NBA should give in on Marijuana testing to the players union.
It doesn’t harm the brand, look at baseball.
MLB doesn’t test for weed.
Testing for marijuana is pointless. It doesn’t enhance performance or cause health issues.
oh, it definitely enhances everything i do. “Have you ever seen the back of a 20 dollar bill…on weed?” red team go!
It could cause players to drive slower and notice the cheerleaders.
Not sure I’m serious here.
And every time a basketball academy player makes a 3pt shot, the official announcer will be required to say “unbelievable! He’s awesome, baby!” “Are you serious?” IDK
Has anybody seen JJ Berea and Bad Bunny at the same time?
JD Shaw was hoping to develop JJ Berea as a source. Now he’s stuck with a freind who owns a big nightclub in Pueto Rico.