“I Didn’t Want to Die”: Controversial Ex-Hornets Star Breaks Silence on Mental Health Battle Amid NBA Comeback

After his controversial exit from the Charlotte Hornets, Kai Jones returned to the court as a Philadelphia 76ers center. He signed a 10-day contract with the team, playing, playing for their G League affiliate. Upon his return, he sat down for an interview with Shams Charnia of The Athletic, where he shed some light on what exactly happened when he exited the Hornets.

Jones gave a vividly honest overview of what he was going through at the time, his mental struggles, and the difficulties he faced, which led to that controversial exit. He began by talking about his great-grandparents’ unfortunate demise in May and July of last year, leaving him in an overall weird mental state. Added to that, the stress of being a full-time NBA player, and the absurd reactions, made his struggles even worse. Jones revealed that he wasn’t mentally stable because of the incident. In a seemingly emotional manner, he said, “I didn’t wanna die. That (grandmother) was one of the first people in my family that I’ve seen die… It was just a lot of confusion for me. I pushed a lot of people away”.

The 23-year-old was waived by the Hornets in October last year, after he failed to show up to training camps, citing “personal reasons”. His release from the team came after a set of bizarre social media posts he sent out, insulting his teammate, Mark Williams, via X. And since then, Kai Jones hasn’t made a single appearance in the NBA, with many unaware of his whereabouts up until now.

Kai Jones was the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Hornets. The franchise traded a future first-rounder to the Knicks to get Jones. But after playing 67 games with the team in his first 2 seasons, Jones and the Hornets severed ties in October 2023. In his NBA career so far, Jones averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds.

After his tell-all interview with Shams Charania, Kai Jones has received an outpouring of love and support from fans. With the Sixers offering him another shot at redemption, will Kai Jones seize this opportunity with both hands?

The Sixers provide Kai Jones with a lifeline

Earlier on Friday, the 76ers announced the team was roping in Kai Jones. Even though he landed temporarily with the franchise as he has just signed a 10-day contract, the Sixers, post the acquisition, assigned him to their G League affiliate, Delaware Blue Coats. Friday night, Jones started suiting up immediately to play against Birmingham Squadron. During the game play, he scored 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block.

And then on Saturday, Jones was back again to face his former squad, the Hornets in a fierce matchup. Even though it was the first matchup for the sixers since Jones came along, he couldn’t get the call-up. Instead, he was competing with the Coats once again the same night.

Per Nick Nurse, the HC, Jones’ 10-day contract might renew for the second time, again for 10 days. The HC says once the 10 days are over, the team will re-evaluate his performance and then see how it goes. Depending on his performance at the G-League level, he might as well earn a second contract, leading the 76ers to take further steps to bring him to their main roster. If the franchise does not feel his performance is up to mark, the team might move on after the 10-day contract expires. But even though Jones only has these 10 days to prove his worth, Nick Nurse seems to be satisfied with his incredible performance so far.

In his limited time on the Sixers’ payroll, Nurse had this to say about Jones: “I went up [to Wilmington] last night and watched him. He did some good things. He’s got some size, he’s got some athleticism… He seemed to play his role really well. He didn’t seem to try to do too much.”

If Kai Jones maintains his performance with the Blue Coats while Joel Embiid is sidelined due to a meniscus tear, he could soon earn himself an opportunity to play in the NBA. Could Kai Jones make the most out of this golden opportunity? Let us know in the comments below!

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