By Charlotte Wilder
This past Sunday, Paul George further entrenched himself in his narrative of failing to perform in the playoffs with a 3-for-14 performance against the Mavs. It was easy to poke fun at him – I did so when I wrote that while I probably wouldn’t come through in the clutch either, it wasn’t my job to win basketball games.
But there was a lot I didn’t know. George was struggling mentally, which I found out on Tuesday night after he put up 35 points for the Clippers in Game 5.
"I underestimated mental health, honestly," George told reporters. "I had anxiety and a little bit of depression. Being locked in here (in the bubble), I just wasn’t there. I checked out."
Considering the pressure athletes are under to appear strong and unflappable, it was brave of George to admit this. He ran the risk of derision from people like Charles Barkley.
Look, everyone’s problems are relative. But just because you’re wealthy and successful doesn’t mean you don’t battle very real inner demons. While your "dark place" might not be as outwardly obvious as others’, that doesn’t invalidate it and doesn’t make it easy to admit.
It’s scary, no matter who you are, to tell people you’re struggling. The stigmas around mental health are very real. It can feel like a weakness not to be able to control your own brain.
Let me be clear: It is not a weakness. Being open about your difficulties takes courage. George said that he went to see a psychiatrist in the bubble, which was almost even braver than saying he was struggling, considering the stigma that some people still attach to seeking professional help.
But mental health issues are biological and circumstantial. Please know that whatever you’re feeling isn’t your fault. Seeking help is the strongest thing you can do.
Fortunately, people in prominent positions — including basketball players like Liz Cambage, Kevin Love, DeMar DeRozan — have helped fight these false preconceptions by being open and honest about their own experiences.
Their comments — and George’s — are a gift.
Knowing you aren’t the only one dealing with anxiety, depression (or whatever your particular mix is) can be intensely comforting. Especially now, as many people who haven’t dealt with anxiety and depression before are facing one or both for the first time.
A CDC study found that the rates of anxiety have increased threefold and rates of depression have increased fourfold since this time last year. Rates of anxiety and depression among Black and Latino Americans have risen more quickly in 2020 than those of other races. Not only are we facing a global pandemic, the country is reckoning with systemic racism and police brutality.
And many people in this country — including athletes— are more isolated than ever before.
Paul George said that the isolation of the bubble contributed to his struggles. While most Americans aren’t living in as strictly a sealed-off environment as the NBA’s controlled environment, the pandemic has thrust many of us into sensory deprivation of some sort.
NBA players aren’t immune to the outside world.
Sports have been a welcome break from the daily cycle of bad news. They allow fans to feel something — excitement, joy, silly disappointment — besides the tough emotions many are dealing with right now.
But athletes are human. They battle mental health issues. They stand up for what they believe in. We’ve never asked players to perform under circumstances like these, so we have to understand and honor how those circumstances affect them. We have to honor the decisions they make.
Maybe the moral of the story here is what I’ve written before: that a little empathy goes a long way.
If you’re struggling, there are a number of services and hotlines you can call and foundations that support mental health initiatives.
