In February during all-star weekend, Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan opened up on his battles with depression:
DeRozan then spoke at greater length about what he had been going through and received an outpouring of support in response.
In the wake of the tweet, the 28 year-old has become an advocate for mental health awareness.
Other athletes credited DeRozan when they publicly spoke about their own struggles afterward, like Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love. In March, Love penciled an article for Players Tribune titled “Everybody is going through something” in which he detailed episodes of anxiety during games this season.
DeRozan and Love will face one another in round two of the NBA playoffs, but the two have teamed up as part of a new PSA released by the NBA to support and promote mental health awareness.
“We all go through it,” DeRozan says of mental health struggles in the public service announcement. “Don’t be ashamed of wanting to be a better you.”
“The PSA, airing during the NBA Playoffs and Finals, is part of leaguewide efforts to encourage mental wellness,” the league says via press release. The league offers “free mindfulness training for all league and team employees and new mental wellness programming in for thousands of youth through Jr. NBA and NBA FIT, events to help communities view the mental as equally important to the physical, etc.”
To check out the full PSA and learn more about the NBA’s initiatives, visit nba.com/mindhealth.
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