NBA commissioner Adam Silver seems to be really interested in addressing issues that past commissioners in other leagues wouldn’t attempt. From gambling to cannabis, Silver has been open for discussion. Now it looks like the league and the players union will unite to address mental health issues amongst players.
Per SLAM
Over the last few weeks, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, Cleveland’s Kevin Love, and Washington’s Kelly Oubre have all shed light on their individual struggles with mental health.
“Everyone is going through something that we can’t see,” Love wrote in a piece for The Player’s Tribune.
According to David Aldridge, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association are nearing the creation of a jointly funded, independent mental wellness program:
The mental wellness program — the product of almost a year of discussions between the league and union that began as the sides were working out the new Collective Bargaining Agreement — will allow players to seek treatment and counseling outside of the framework of their individual teams, if they want. Existing team physicians and other resources will still be available to them, too.
The League and union are reportedly close to naming a Director of Mental Health and Wellness to lead the program.
As Aldridge states, “the new office will be the most comprehensive program dealing with mental wellness created to date.”
Now, will addressing mental health mean allowing players dealing with depression to consume cannabis? Larry Sanders would be a great person to ask.