Did Kyrie Irving Seek Therapy? 5 NBA Stars Who Prioritized Their Mental Health During Tough Times

To play in the NBA, it’s not just about physical strength. Players need as much mental strength as they put into the game. Many players suffer from mental health issues, such as depression, for various reasons. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has also addressed this issue and launched a mental health program. Silver said that players “It’s really unfortunate.”

In an interview Washington Post, Silver cited isolation, jealousy, anxiety, and surveillance as the main causes of mental health issues among NBA players. And focusing on the title question, did Kyrie Irving receive therapy? The answer is, definitely, yes. While there is no clear evidence of where he received therapy, there are enough testimonials to prove that he sought help. Moreover, the superstar basketball player not only sought mental health help, but also received extensive support. Over the past few years, Uncle Drew It has been through a lot of controversy.

From his departure from the Boston Celtics to his controversial political posts on social media, Irving has received a lot of criticism. On top of that, he has also experienced personal loss. In 2019, he lost his grandfather, which led to him falling into depression. Speaking about that period, Kai Said, “I didn’t let anyone near me at the time. It really bothered me. I didn’t take the steps I needed to get counseling or therapy… I’ve never had that happen.” He also added: “I It was a different reaction than usual.”

He admitted he had never come close to receiving mental health therapy, but became an advocate for it in 2023. Speaking to a group of New Jersey youth gathered at a basketball-related event he hosted, he stressed the importance of mental health. Irving added: “Please, don’t suffer in silence. You don’t want to suffer in silence, it’s not worth it… Please take care of your mental health.”

5 NBA stars who prioritized their mental health

The first player on our list is already making a name for himself. If there is an NBA player who is in dire need of mental health support, it is surely Kyrie Irving. After his dispute with the Celtics, he became public enemy number one, and the crowd at the TD Garden never missed an opportunity to give the star a hard time with boos and heckles.

The league fined Irving $50,000 for giving the Boston crowd the finger, indefinitely stripped him of the right to express political views, and received the same amount of backlash for his anti-vaccination stance. And continuing to play at a high level amid all the controversy undoubtedly requires strong emotional support, something he has consciously made public.

Before we move on to the other players, here are some of Kyrie’s most talked-about quotes from an interview. “That’s another source of human conflict: worrying about other people’s perceptions of ‘who you are.’ Why do we care?”

DeMar DeRozan

The Chicago Bulls forward spoke about his mental health struggles on a podcast. Dinner with Demar. The 34-year-old DeRozan has had plenty of ups and downs throughout his career, but being traded from the Toronto Raptors for Kawhi Leonard in 2018 had a lasting impact on him. “I got on my knees and got on my knees.” The Raptors went on to win the title the following year, with Leonard winning Finals MVP honors.

This really disappointed Starr, he said. “I couldn’t do anything. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted and I just lay there. … I locked the door and lay there alone in my room.” Still, the star appeared to be in a better place, advocating for his mental health, making it a priority to be with his kids and get healthy and refocused before taking to the court.

Draymond Green

The Golden State Warriors star could be the latest to join the list, having been suspended indefinitely for the 2023-24 season by the league after a series of ugly physical altercations on the court. The league also instructed the star player to seek treatment during his suspension in order to return to the court.

During a podcast chat with DeRozan, Green revealed he struggled to get therapy. He added: “At the beginning of the year, I had to tell myself, ‘OK, it’s time to re-immerse myself and improve myself.’ It certainly seemed like a good reward to him.

Paul George

Like DeRozan, the Los Angeles Clippers star has had an up-and-down career, plagued by season-ending injuries. In 2023, Paul George spoke about mental health alongside teammate Reggie Jackson. PG-13 spoke about his struggles and revealed that the words and actions of people in the room can sometimes hurt him.

Specifically, he spoke about his struggles in the NBA bubble. “I couldn’t sleep and it was a real vicious cycle… I got help and found ways to cope. Hearing other people’s opinions on my life was really helpful.”

Kevin Love

We’ve reached the end of our list. Kevin Love may be the first person to speak in detail about his own mental health struggles, particularly in a 2018 article: “Everyone is going through something.” He spoke about his decades-long struggle with depression and anxiety.

Love revealed that his on-court performance has come to dictate his off-court personality. “You can’t grow out of depression… you can’t grow out of high levels of anxiety.” To overcome this, the former champion prioritised her mental health over her performance on the court.

Finally, don’t forget to check out how Caitlin Clark’s humility despite the naysayers impressed Shaquille O’Neal’s former agent, Leonard Armato. Stay tuned to this space for more updates.

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