John Lucas, a former NBA player who currently runs a substance-abuse wellness and aftercare program for athletes, is one of the most prominent names in the headlines at the moment. The Houston Rockets assistant coach is an authority on the matter of mental health issues in the NBA today, and his recent statement has further added fuel to the flames of this controversy.
According to Lucas, who explicitly discussed the mental illness of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, the condition is quite rampant in the league today. However, it is the diagnosed players themselves who refuse to address the problem at hand. This is via Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.
“I have so many guys from the NBA who were put on ADHD medication, and they didn't want to be on it,” Lucas said.
Lucas went on to explain the reason behind the players' unwillingness to take prescription drugs, saying that it stems from the rigorous demands of the sport.
“They needed it, but they didn't want to be that calm on the court,” added Lucas. “We need them to be at this frantic pace. So when he's on the medication, the coaches are saying, ‘Why can't we get more out of him?' But when he doesn't take the medicine, we say, ‘He's the player I want.' The problem is that player doesn't know how to turn off that rage, that intensity, once the games are over.”
If this is true, then the problem of mental health in the NBA is a much bigger issue than we have been led to believe. If NBA coaches and/or teams are indeed involved in not only turning a blind eye, but downright preventing the necessary treatment, then surely, something has to change as soon as possible.
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