Aspen Ideas to Go Breaking Down Mental Health Stigma: NBA Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love Get Real
In 2018, professional basketball superstar DeMar DeRozan gave the world a dose of reality when he tweeted about struggling with depression. Even though he was in the middle of NBA All-Star weekend – an achievement many people think is the ultimate dream – he didn’t want to leave his hotel room. He was just looking to be truly seen and heard, but he ended up starting an important conversation and becoming a devoted advocate for mental health issues. And he inspired fellow NBA player Kevin Love to speak out not long after with an essay about dealing with longtime anxiety and depression. The two players have given countless hours since then to breaking mental health stigmas and guiding honest conversations about success, money and true happiness. DeRozan also published a book about his mental health journey last year called “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm.” For Mental Health Awareness month in May, we’re bringing back a conversation between the two players and performance psychologist Michael Gervais. This talk was recorded at the 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival.