Following the example recently set by DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love, Washington Wizards Kelly Oubre Jr. has become the latest NBA player to reveal that he too has struggled with mental illness. Appearing on the Wizards Tipoff Podcast, Oubre opened up about his bouts with depression and anxiety.
“A lot of people are coming out with things about mental health. I feel as if, yeah man I’ve suffered through a lot of things in my life. I’ve been through a lot of things,” he said.
“I can definitely relate to it all… I’m really good at keeping a poker face because when I was growing up my dad always told me ‘don’t let anybody see you weak.’ Nobody sees that I’m weak, but deep down inside I am going through a lot. Hell is turning over.”
“We’re normal human beings. We face a lot more adversity, a lot more problems… It’s a little bit more amped up, we just can’t show it,” he said. “I feel like people who are on the outside looking in don’t really understand because they see us as superheroes, but we’re normal people, man. We go through the issues that normal people go through times 10.”
Often times, society imposes a mentality of toxic masculinity. A culture where men are told since childhood to never cry or express their emotions, having this perception of being a weak trait. With Love, DeRozan, and now Oubre stepping forward and candidly speaking their truths, a shift in the conversation regarding athletes and mental health can now head towards a better direction.