J.R. Smith: ‘I Played 70% of NBA Career Depressed’
It’s not every day you see a group of Black men getting supremely transparent about their mental health struggles. But that’s exactly what happened here recently when former Cleveland Cavaliers player J.R. Smith sat down for a candid conversation and revealed some truly eye-opening information.
If you fancy yourself an NBA fan, then you’re probably already familiar with Smith’s lore throughout his time in the league. If you’re not a fan, then you should know that a large part of his lore stems from the fatal car crash he endured in June 2007 in New Jersey. After running through a stop sign and into another car, Smith and another passenger were ejected from the vehicle. While Smith miraculously avoided any life-threatening injuries, the other passenger who was ejected along with him suffered severe head injuries and died two days later.
Due to the crash, Smith later had to serve a little over 20 days in jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. However, he would suffer even more consequences through the league, like multiple game suspensions and fines—while still dealing with the ups and downs that come with playing the highly physical sport. Smith would also deal with injuries and the fallout of getting traded, which all compounded and harmed his mental health.
Now, looking back on all he’s gone through in the latest episode of the “Pivot Podcast,” Smith shared that he played at least 70 percent of his career depressed and addicted to pain pills and other bad coping mechanisms. What’s worse? No one seemingly tried to help him.
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“I went through things with my mental health consistently long enough to where I feel like I probably played 70% of my career depressed…The mental aspect of it, the emotional side, the depression, all of that. Getting hurt and not being able to play. Getting hooked on pills. Bro, I went through all of that,” Smith explained.
He continued: “I played for the Knicks. I tore my meniscus. I had to sit out. They rushed me back. I’m hurting the whole time. I got addicted to pain pills. They know it. But nobody comes and says, ‘Yo man, you good? What can we do to help you?’ Nah, [it’s] ‘He’s terrible. He’s this. He’s that. Ship him to Cleveland. He’s a throw in for the trade.’ [But] I’m dealing with a lot of shit. Y’all don’t care. You literally don’t care at all. You just throw more dirt on my name and move me.”
During another part of the conversation, the former Lakers player said that he developed an addiction to smoking in an attempt to deal with his depression. Sadly, despite going to therapy, he’s had a hard time kicking the habit.
“I’m addicted to smoking because of a lot of the depression and pain that I feel, and I don’t know how to get out and express it,” he said in part.
Smith’s words are especially important as June serves as Black Men’s Mental Health Month. What makes it even more heartbreaking to hear is that studies have shown that “African-American men face more chronic major depressive disorder (MDD) and greater impairment from it, but are often misdiagnosed.” Additionally, Black men seek mental health services significantly less often than whites and Black women do.
Given these stats, it should force all of us to question why Black men don’t feel safe enough or confident enough to seek out help for their suffering. It should also make us all reexamine the ways in which we’re showing up for the Black men in our lives and be mindful of when and how they start to display signs of struggle. There’s nothing wrong with getting help when you need it, but it helps to have an encouraging environment around you that can act as a proper support system for when you do it. Clearly, that was what Smith needed and still needs; here’s hoping he gets it soon.
