Players are showered with cash and adulation. But the pressures of life in the league can also bring isolation and mental health burdens
Making it to the NBA is a dream come true. Fans can see it on the faces of the players on draft day when their names are called. They arrive at the podium with visions of celebrity, multimillion dollar paydays and glamor as they shake the commissioner’s hand. But no matter how exciting the prospect is of playing in the league, there is more to being human than simply providing entertainment for big bucks. So, what happens when the dream fades and issues of loneliness and trust become part of a person’s day-to-day?
“You dream about something for your whole life,” NBA veteran Kelly Oubre Jr tells the Guardian. “And when you finally reach that dream – everybody wakes up at one point in time. When I woke up, life really hit me.”