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The conversation around marijuana and its place in sports and the NBA has been a highly debated and discussed issue over the past few weeks.

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr is an advocate for players to be able to use the substance after he admittingly used marijuana to treat chronic back pain over the past year-and-a-half. Knicks’ president Phil Jackson is also an advocate for marijuana while Suns’ coach Earl Watson recently voiced his concerns over allowing players to use the drug.

Former Nuggets’ point guard and five-time All-Star Chauncey Billups made his feelings known on NBA Countdown Friday night and went as far as to say that he had teammates who excelled on the court after smoking marijuana pregame.

“I played with players, I’m not going to name names, I wanted them to actually smoke,” Billups said. “They played better like that. It helped them focus in on the game plan…I needed them to do that. I would rather them [smoke] sometimes than drink.”

“For medicinal use, I think we absolutely need to have that conversation,” Billups said. “The Players Association, they need to talk about that with the NBA, because there’s a lot of science behind it… because we’ve been through a ton of injuries. I’ve seen a piece on Jason Williams, who was the No. 2 pick in the draft, that talked about him being addicted to oxycontin and pain pills, and it would have been much better and much easier thing to have marijuana as a relief.”

Billups’ comments will undoubtedly keep the conversation around if players should be allowed to use marijuana for medicinal or even recreational purposes going.