Houston Rockets assistant coach John Lucas has spoken out on the issue of mental health that has overshadowed the NBA. According to the 64-year-old, substance abuse is one of the primary causes of mental health among prominent athletes.
In her very thought-provoking piece for ESPN, Jackie MacMullan details why Lucas believes this to be true.
“Lucas, whose [wellness and aftercare substance-abuse recovery program] stresses to athletes that ‘basketball is what you do, not who you are,' says all the trappings are there for the pros — too much free time, too much money, too many bad influences — that if they have no life outside the game, eventually they will succumb to temptations,” writes MacMullan.
According to Lucas, who himself experienced first hand the horrors of alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues and addiction virtually go hand in hand.
“How much does addiction go hand in hand with mental health? It's all one and the same,” Lucas insists. “Mental health is a spiritual condition. That's what people miss. It's an addiction. An addiction is something where I can't change my behavior to meet my goals, but I change my goals to meet my behavior. And then I have a serious problem.”
Lucas went on to explain how some NBA players have chosen to address their mental health problems.
“So what guys are doing now is not taking their medicine and smoking marijuana instead. THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] is the derivative in marijuana that calms you. When the NBA first put its drug policy together, you couldn't suspend players for it. THC helps epileptics and people in pain.
However, Lucas believes that the use of marijuana may cause some unwanted side effects on the players.
“The problem with it is it doesn't kill you,” Lucas claims. “But it does kill your spirit, your ability to achieve. It takes away your drive.”
For their part, the NBA and NBPA have begun addressing the issue of mental health. They will need to act sternly and swiftly, as it appears that we have only hit the tip of the iceberg.
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