“I think it’s a generational issue.’’
By Nicole Yang
For #NBA commissioner #AdamSilver, supporting players and their #mentalhealth is an ongoing initiative.
“When I meet with them, what surprises me is that they’re truly unhappy,’’ Silver told The Ringer’s Bill Simmons during an hour-long panel discussion at the 13th annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday afternoon. “A lot of these young men are generally unhappy.’’
While fans might presume players are hanging out and devising ambitious plans so that they can play on the same team, Silver stressed that’s hardly the case.
“I think it’s less calculated than a lot of people think,’’ he said. “The reality is that most don’t want to play together. There’s enormous jealousy amongst our players.’’
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
In his observations and meetings with players, Silver said he has discovered there are pervasive feelings of loneliness and melancholy across the league. He said he no longer sees the high level of camaraderie or team-building that once existed in previous years, citing six-time #NBA champion #MichaelJordan’s final season with the #ChicagoBulls as a paragon.
“If you’re around a team in this day and age, there are always headphones on,’’ Silver said. “[The players] are isolated, and they have their heads down.’’
Silver, who assumed office in February 2014, called Jordan’s Bulls “a band of brothers’’ who were able to strengthen their relationships via the constant travel that comes with being a #professionalathlete. As 12-time #NBAAll-Star #IsiahThomas told him, “Championships are won on the bus.’’
But things are different now. Referencing a conversation he had with a superstar ahead of the second game of a back-to-back earlier this season, Silver said the player’s unhappiness and isolation were “to the point where it’s almost pathology.’’
“He said to me, ‘From the time I get on the plane to when I show up in the arena for the game, I won’t see a single person,’ ’’ Silver relayed. “There was a deep sadness around him.’’
Silver emphasized these feelings are very real, even if the outside world is skeptical due to the “the fame, the money, [and] the trappings that go with [being in the #NBA].’’ He also shot down the idea that players don’t care about what is being said or written about them — something he notes has now trickled down to the #NCAA level.
Although the emergence of social media has helped the league become more fan-friendly, gain exposure, and promote players, Silver is well aware of its downside.
When #Jordan was at #UniversityofNorthCarolina, for example, Silver said the budding #NBA talent could “make mistakes and it wasn’t magnified.’’ The hottest commodity in college basketball this season, Duke’s #ZionWilliamson, however, is already in the spotlight. As Silver put it, the current crop of elite basketball players don’t have the opportunity to be a “nobody.’’
“[Zion’s] scrutinized,’’ Silver said. “Everywhere he goes, every party he’s at, someone’s holding up a camera.’’
Last season, a pair of #NBA stars opened up about their personal experiences with #depression and #anxiety: #ClevelandCavaliers power forward #KevinLove penned an essay, ‘Everyone is Going Through Something,’ for the Players’ Tribune, while #SanAntonioSpurs shooting guard #DeMarDeRozan (who was on the #TorontoRaptors at the time) shared his story in an interview with The Star.
Silver said he doesn’t want Love’s and DeRozan’s decisions to speak out to be “a signal’’ to other players combating similar feelings that they need to go public with their story. “That’s an individual player’s prerogative,’’ he said.
Instead, Silver wants them to know that it’s OK to talk about things and/or seek help within the league, or elsewhere.
The #NBPA launched a new #mentalhealthandwellnessprogram in May to support players with “a wide range of #mentalhealthchallenges and issues.’’ Silver said several teams have also hired #mentalhealthprofessionals as part of their staff.
The problems the league is addressing are part of a “larger societal issue,’’ according to Silver.
“I don’t think it’s unique to these players,’’ he said. “I don’t think it’s something that’s just going around superstar athletes. I think it’s a generational issue.”
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
