The issue of mental health within the NBA is no longer a deep, dark secret that nobody wants to talk about. Thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love and the San Antonio Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan, who so bravely opened up about their own personal struggles with mental health, their revelations have forced the hand of both the NBA and the NBPA to take immediate action.
It was Love who first publicly aired his ongoing battle with anxiety, while for his part, DeRozan followed suit by admitting to have suffered depression. These, along with a handful of other NBA players who have opened up about their own struggles, have prompted the league to address this growing concern.
“The willingness of Love and DeMar DeRozan to step out of the shadows and reveal their struggles has set the NBA on an important path of self-discovery,” wrote Jackie MacMullan in her piece for ESPN. “It has prompted the National Basketball Players Association to hire Dr. William Parham as its first director of mental health and wellness.”
The NBPA is taking a huge step here towards tackling the problem of mental illness head on. Likewise, the NBA front office will also do its part by incorporating this issue to its rule book.
“…and it has convinced commissioner Adam Silver and union head Michele Roberts that hammering out a comprehensive mental health policy needs to be a priority,” added Macmullan.
Love and DeRozan are definitely not the only NBA players suffering from mental health issues. Playing at the highest level night in and night out for years surely takes a toll on players — both physically and psychologically. Thankfully, the association is on the right path towards properly addressing this problem.