Milwaukee Bucks legend on recovery in his era: "Beers, cigarettes, and cocaine"
Marques Johnson was a five-time All-Star, is a candidate for the Hall of Fame, and has recently talked about post-game routines when he played.
The current NBA represents the extreme of professionalization. Most players are athletes subjected to constant monitoring thanks to new technologies and receive specific care down to the last detail, from nutrition to travel and training.
The situation is very different from what was experienced during the last decades of the 20th century. In the sixties, seventies, and eighties, the League was still trying to carve out a niche among fans, and physical preparation and professionalism were far from current standards. Additionally, harmful substances were commonly present in locker rooms.
Marques Johnson, one of the figures of the NBA during the seventies, recalled how that era was during his participation in the podcast Club 520, hosted by DJ Wells, Bishop B Henn, and former Atlanta Hawks player Jeff Teague, among others.
Beers, cigarettes, and cocaine after games
Johnson recounted one of the routines he had with a teammate after games. His description reflects how far the recovery habits of that time were from the current ones.
"Troy and I would sit in the sauna. Maybe we'd drink about ten or twelve small beers and smoke a pack of cigarettes. We might consume a good amount of cocaine while smoking a little. He would say, 'I don't know... stop, stop. I don't want to consume anymore, I don't want to consume anymore.' I just tell you that today I'm recovering, remember how his post-game routine was," Johnson explained.
The former player has had his number 8 retired by the Milwaukee Bucks, the franchise that selected him with the number 3 pick in the 1977 Draft.
"It was the worst thing you could do afterwards"
Johnson also explained that at that time, there was no proper medical approach to recovery after games.
"That's how things were. There wasn't a medically correct recovery approach or anything like that. It was simply: 'Hey, have a beer, hydrate while you're sitting in the sauna.' It was the worst thing you could do afterwards," the Californian stated.
The forward spent eleven seasons in the NBA. He played seven years with the Milwaukee Bucks and three with the Los Angeles Clippers, before retiring with the Golden State Warriors in 1990.
A five-time All-Star still waiting for the Hall of Fame
Johnson arrived in San Francisco with the goal of regaining his level after missing two seasons due to neck problems.
During his career, he was named Rookie of the Year and participated in the All-Star game five times. Despite his career, he still hopes to have the opportunity to enter the Hall of Fame after five failed attempts.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Leyenda de los Milwaukee Bucks, sobre la recuperación en su época: "Cervezas, cigarrillos y cocaína"
