Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world, with its effects reaching all walks of life and workplaces. It’s, therefore, no surprise that many NBA players have suffered from depression.
NBA players with depression include Demar DeRozan, Kevin Love, and Kelly Oubre.
In 2018 Derozen opened up about his battle with depression and anxiety. His courage has inspired other players like Kevin Love and Kelly Oubre to share their experiences with mental illness.
This article will discuss which NBA players have suffered from depression. Keep reading to learn more about their exposure to mental illness and how they deal with depression.
1. Demar DeRozan
In a 2018 tweet, NBA player Demar DeRozan hinted at his battle with mental illness. After receiving overwhelming support, Demar confirmed that he suffers from depression and anxiety in an interview with the Toronto Star. “It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day.”
Demar’s story caused a butterfly effect in the sports world, NBA included.
2. Kevin Love
Soon after, Kevin Love revealed that he had a panic attack in the middle of a game. Anxiety rendered him physically incapable of performing. Before this experience, Love said he viewed mental illness as a “form of weakness that could derail my success. ”Since then, Kevin has learned the importance of discussing and treating mental health.
The same year as DeRozan’s reveal, Love took to The Players’ Tribune to detail his fight with mental illness. In the article, Kevin discusses the difficulty of talking with someone about your personal issues, especially as a successful young male athlete. We are told being a man means being tough.
“It’s like a playbook: Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through it on your own.” he says. Even after his panic attack, his biggest concern was “with people finding out.” Noticing this stigma is what led him to turn to his organization ( the Cleveland Cavilers at the time ) for help. Even though he started with skepticism, therapy helped him find the root of his problems.
“We talked about a range of non-basketball things, and I realized how many issues come from places that you may not realize until you really look into them.”
In a 2021 interview, Kevin spoke candidly about his childhood experiences with depression and that he now attends therapy regularly to help cope. He started his own charity, the Kevin Love Fund, making his new mission to help others fight mental illness.
3. Kelly Oubre
In 2018, Kelly Oubre told NBC Sports about his mental health history. At nine years old, Oubre and his family were forced to flee their life in New Orleans and start over in Houston, Texas, because of Hurricane Katrina. Since then, he says, “I feel as if, yeah man I’ve suffered through a lot of things in my life.”
No stranger to adversity, Oubre has found a way to cope.
“I just go into a quiet place and breathe, man. Just being mindful is the only way I know how to get through any anxiety, any depression or anything like that.”