New Philadelphia 76ers center Kai Jones made a return to the NBA after an ugly exit from the Charlotte Hornets. After signing a 10-day contract with the Sixers and playing in two games for their G League affiliate, he shed some light on what happened between him and his former team.
In an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Jones gave a candid insight into his mental struggles and the difficulties in his life that contributed to his abrupt exit from the Hornets. He said that his great-grandparents had passed away in May and July respectively, which left him in a bad mental space and compounded with the stress of being an NBA player.
“I didn’t want to die.” – New Philadelphia 76ers C/F Kai Jones sits down with @Stadium: On coping with losses in his life, now receiving significant therapy, return to the NBA and more: pic.twitter.com/o0emOIIvG3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 18, 2024
“For me, it was just kind of pushing everybody away, so anybody who I felt like didn’t understand me, I was just pushing them all away. So, it made me feel really isolated,” Jones said at the 1:44 mark of the interview. “In that isolation, you’re just dealing with the voices in your head and you have to learn how to navigate those voices and calm yourself.
“I already looked back on my tweets,” the 76ers center continued. “I was just tweeting so much about, ‘I'm this and I'm that.’ I think I was trying to cancel out the negative voices in my head because, to be honest with you Shams, I didn’t want to die. That was one of the first people in my family I've seen die like that [from old age]…I'm like, ‘What? I don’t want to die. I want to live forever.’ I'm trying to pray super hard and the voices in your head are like, ‘You know, you could die if you don’t lock in in life.’ I think it was just a lot of confusion for me.”
Kai Jones happy to be back in NBA with 76ers
In an interview from November, Jones discussed how the passing of his great-grandmother contributed to his bizarre social media activity and that the Hornets wanted him to go into therapy. Jones admitted to being stubborn and refusing it initially. He said that he ended up going and that it went poorly, resulting in the team telling him he wouldn’t be allowed to participate in training camp. That, Jones said, was the final straw and the incident that led to his trade request before the team waived him.
Jones voiced his appreciation for the Hornets and his former agency, Klutch Sports Group, for what they did for him in his interview with Charania. He said that the way things ended for him in Charlotte was the result of “a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding on both ends” and that he has worked to better himself. The 76ers hosted a workout for him earlier this month and decided he was a worthy addition, though they have played things carefully.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said that the plan for Jones is to stay in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats for the duration of this 10-day deal and then evaluate him. Unfortunately, Jones sustained a hamstring strain in his second game with Delaware, which could put a dent in his availability. Still, being back in the NBA is a great development for the 23-year-old big man.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Jones said. “I’m blessed to be in this position and I’m very excited to go out and play. For me right now with this 10-day opportunity [my goal] is to go in, take it one shot at a time, one defensive possession at a time, understand the coverages as quickly as I can and know the players as quickly as I can. I want to make a smooth transition to the NBA.”
Kai Jones said he believes he has the potential to be an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA. He admitted that it's “a long journey” to get there but his current stint with the 76ers is the first step toward those heights he hopes to reach.
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