Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland sat down with DJ Vlad recently and gave him a lengthy look into his street ball and crime-ridden past. Born and raised in Harlem, NY, Pee Wee began playing basketball at 9 and, unbeknownst to himself, became one of the best in his age group. At 14 he broke the point record at his local community center, and to this day no one has matched or beat it.
Later on in the conversation Pee Wee Kirkland discusses his ties to drugs and other crimes that eventually led to him serving time (or what he calls a "federal vacation"). Admitting he got caught in the illusion of it all, Pee Wee made it clear he's never sold drugs, but did partake in robbing a series of jewelry stores. "I never sold drugs. Never. What I did was I was involved with the life of crime not too far after I started basketball," Kirkland voiced to DJ Vlad, adding that it "put me in a position to be able to finance what eventually became a drug empire."
Reality hit him three months after he plead guilty to conspiracy for a crime he didn't commit. "Nothing good is ever gonna happen concerning drugs - for nobody," he states before listing prison, witness protection and a graveyard as the only remaining options. "I think what may have saved my life was me going away."
Watch and listen as Kirkland discusses turning down two basketball deals, having to witness his mother getting indicted and his decision to stay drug-free (including aspirin) above.
