Did Kyrie Irving Go to Therapy? 5 NBA Stars Who Prioritised Their Mental Health During Tough Times

Playing in the NBA isn’t only about physical strength. A player might require an equal amount of mental strength, as much muscle power one puts into the game. Many players have slipped into mental health issues like depression because of various reasons. The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has even addressed the issue and launched mental health programs. Silver even listed out that makes the players “really unhappy”.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Silver listed isolation, jealousy, anxiety, and scrutiny as the major reasons for mental health problems among NBA players. And focusing on the title question: Did Kyrie Irving go to therapy? The answer is a big yes. While there is no definite proof of the whereabouts of his visits, there are enough statements to prove that he sought help. Moreover, the superstar baller not only sought mental help but also advocated on a large scale. Over the last few years, Uncle Drew has gone through a lot of controversies.

Starting from his departure from the Boston Celtics franchise to his controversial political posts on his social media, Irving received a lot of backlash. On top of it, he also had personal losses. He lost his grandfather in 2019 and he slipped into depression. Speaking of that period, Kai said, “I didn’t allow anyone to get close to me in that instance, and it really bothered me. I didn’t take the necessary steps to get counseling or therapy… I’ve never dealt with anything like that.” He also added, “I responded in ways that are uncharacteristic.”

While he admitted that he hadn’t gone anywhere closer to getting mental health therapy, he became its advocate in 2023. Speaking to a young crowd in New Jersey, who came to an event organized by him relating to basketball, he stressed to them the importance of mental health. Irving added, “Please, please don’t suffer in silence. You don’t want to suffer in silence, man, it’s not worth it…Please take care of your mental health.”

5 NBA stars who prioritized their mental health

First on the list has already made his mark. If one NBA player badly needed mental health support, it would be Kyrie Irving without a doubt. Following his controversy with the Celtics, he turned into public enemy #1. TD Garden crowd never missed its chance to give a tough time to the star, with boos and heckling.

The league even slapped a $50k fine on Irving for flipping his finger at the Boston crowd. Apart from that, he faced an indefinite suspension from his political views and also received an equal amount of backlash for his anti-vaccination stance. And for a player to still play on a high level with the overflowing controversies, he would definitely need strong mental support and he has consciously advocated to the masses as well.

Before heading into other players, here are the words from one of Kyrie’s viral interviews: “That’s another root of human struggle. Worrying about other people’s perception about ‘who you are’. Like why would you ever care about that.” 

DeMar DeRozan

The Chicago Bulls forward opened up about his mental health struggles in his podcast show Dinner with DeMar. The 34-year-old had a lot of ups and downs throughout his career. But the trade out of the Toronto Raptors to replace Kawhi Leonard in 2018 had a lasting effect on him. DeRozan said, “Knocked me to my f***ing knees.” On top of it, the Raptors went on to win the title the following year with Leonard winning the Finals MVP.

This really left the star gutted, as he said, “I just didn’t have nothing in me. I felt so exhausted mentally, emotionally and I just laid there. … Locked the door and laid in the room by myself,” through his podcast. Nevertheless, the star seemed to be in a better place, advocating mental health. He prioritized staying with his kids to reshape and refocus before stepping on the floor.

Draymond Green

The Golden State Warriors star could have been the last to join the list. Following a series of ugly physical altercations on the court, the league was slapped with an indefinite suspension in the 2023-24 season. It also directed the star to undergo therapy during the suspension in order to get back on the court.

During his interaction with DeRozan in his podcast, Green opened up about how he struggled to get himself into therapy. He added, “Earlier this year, I had to tell myself, ‘Yo, it’s time to dive back into yourself, to improve yourself.” It definitely seemed to have paid him well.

Paul George

Just like DeRozan, the LA Clippers star has had a career of ups and downs, riddled with season-ending injuries. In 2023, Paul George, along with his teammate Reggie Jackson spoke about mental. PG-13, speaking of struggles, revealed how the words and actions of people in a room could hurt him at times.

Especially, he spoke about his struggle in the NBA bubble. He added, “I couldn’t sleep, it just was a downward spiral that I was going through… I was able to get help and figure out a way to cope with it. It was a huge help hearing someone else’s perspective of my life.” 

Kevin Love

We have reached the end of our list. Kevin Love could be the first one to extensively speak about his mental health struggles. Especially, in a 2018 article titled ‘Everyone is Going Through Something’, he addressed his decades-long fight with depression and anxiety.

Love revealed how his performances on the court started to dictate his personality off the court. Speaking of it, he said, “You can’t achieve yourself out of depression… You can’t achieve yourself out of that high level of anxiety.” The former champion prioritized his mental health over his performance on the court to overcome it.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video