Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley denied he had a substance abuse problem on Friday, but said his stay in a rehabilitation facility had let him “get back in touch with myself.”
Beasley apologized to the Heat and offered thanks for their support through a difficult time — some of which was documented by the player himself via his Twitter feed.
“Being locked down for as long as I was gave me a chance to really get my life organized and get back in touch with myself,” Beasley said. “I think over this past year, I’ve got caught up in the NBA life, as most of us do.”
Asked in a question-and-answer session with reporters whether he had an abuse issue, Beasley answered: “No, sir.”
Marijuana
Beasley, the second overall selection in last year’s NBA draft, sparked concern with Twitter postings, including a photo of himself showing off a tattoo in which a plastic bag was visible and rumored to hold marijuana.
“I didn’t know what was in the picture,” Beasley said. “Had I have known, the picture wouldn’t have gone up. I saw the picture. I tried to analyze the picture myself. I couldn’t tell what was in it. To this day, I don’t know what was in it. But it wasn’t mine. That was just me not being aware of my surroundings. I have to get better than that.”
Heat officials have gone out of their way to support Beasley, with staff members visiting him regularly during his stay at a Texas rehabilitation facility.
“In my worst hour, in my lowest hour, to know that my team and my organization backed me up 100 percent, it gives you comfort,” Beasley said.
“It’s just making me feel a whole lot better as a player and a person,” he said.
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