Recently, former NBA forward Kyle Singler posted a concerning video to his Instagram account speaking about an apparent mental health battle.
“I need to make an announcement because I feel like my voice is getting silenced. Every day, s**t is being thrown my way,” he said. “I've been mistreated and abused. Neglected. Made into a mental example. I fear for my life every day.”
He also added that “my community is f****d.”
One person who has been a mental health advocate in the NBA community over the years is Miami Heat forward and former NBA champion Kevin Love, who commented on the video, “I love you Kyle. Hit me whenever. Please.”
Love then took to his own account on X, formerly Twitter, with another message for the former NBA big man.
“To everyone who has spent time with Kyle Singler and whose lives he has touched – please shower him with the love and support he needs+deserves,” wrote Love. “I would not be who I am today without him. I am forever indebted and love him. To the NBA family, Duke BB family, & South Medford community – let’s show up for one of our own.”
Over the years, players like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan have become huge advocates for mental health awareness in professional athletes, an issue that had previously not gotten the attention it warranted in the national media.
For his part, Love created the Kevin Love Fund, whose stated mission is to “inspire people to live their healthiest lives by creating equity between mental and physical health.”
DeRozan has also spoken publicly about his mental health struggles over the years in interviews and on social media, and the hope is that as more and more high-profile athletes speak out on the issue, it will become less stigmatized in society.