John McEnroe had some fun at Bill Maher's expense on the comedian's latest Club Random podcast during which the tennis legend claims to smoke a joint for the first time. "I'll try a taste," he says. "The first time ever, everybody. I've never tried it."
He then inhales like a pro. This was not McEnroe's first time. In his 2017 book, But Seriously, he writes about his sons finding his weed stash. Noted pot head Chrissie Hynde said in 2014: "Way back in the days when he was doing Wimbledon, he would always call me because he knew I had pot. He used to come around and hang out."
McEnroe won men's singles titles at Wimbledom in 1981, 1983 and 1984.
He also admits to smoking at Stanford in the interview. Here's how the cannabis convo went (cue to 26:40)...
McEnroe: Do you smoke more marijuana or less?
Maher (holding joint): I smoke just the right amount.
McEnroe: Well, I'm gettng a little concerned about your marijuana intake now.
Maher: Why? It bothers you?
McEnroe: No. I thought since I have such concern about you, maybe I'll take one hit of that.
[Maher hands McEnroe a joint]
McEnroe: Oh, a fresh one. Very thoughtful. I'll try a taste. The first time ever, everybody. I've never tried it.
Maher: These are clove cigarettes I've told them many times on the show. These are clove cigarettes. John, I don't know what they're putting in these cloves [laughs].
McEnroe: Yeah, they're pretty interesting. It reminds me of when I went to see Led Zeppelin in '74. [He exhales}
Maher: How old were you in 1974?
McEnroe: 15... I didn't really try any drugs until I went to college. I went to Stanford for a year. That's when I first got introduced to the thing you have in your hand.
Maher: Cloves?
McEnroe: Cloves, yeah. They were very strong in Northern California at that time.
Maher: I think that's where they grow them. I think it has something to do with organic farming. That's why the cloves are so different than they used to be. Because I remember back in the '60s, '70s, '80s. '90s and today, it seemed like it was weaker.
McEnroe: Dirt weed. Oh, yeah, but I wouldn't know anything about that.
Note About Clove Cigarettes
For some reason, Maher hides behind clove cigaretters in his talk with McEnroe. It's a joke but also a cover. When they couldn't find a joint, hippies used to spark up clove cigs. Made in Indonesia, they include tobacco. According to VeryWell Mind, "Clove cigarettes typically contain 60% to 80% tobacco and 20% to 40% ground clove buds and clove oil. Sometimes, other spices such as cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg are also added."
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