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Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young hasn't even played in a regular season NBA game and he is facing all kinds of pressure from everyone. DeMar DeRozan opened up last year about dealing with mental health issues and Young knows that is something he will have to deal with his entire career.
“I'm very aware of the mental health challenges [ahead of me],” Young says via ESPN. “I understand there will be a lot on my plate, like there has been for DeMar [DeRozan].”
During Summer League he was the star attraction and when he air-balled his first three-pointer the crowd let him know about. That is something that Young knows he is going to have to get used to because he is always going to have a bullseye on his back.
“I've got a bull's-eye on my back, and I haven't even been to training camp yet,” he says.
Young has used Brett Ledbetter as a mentor who started helping him while he played for the Oklahoma Sooners. Ledbetter's job is to help players navigate the pressures that come with being a star athlete and helping them get through it before it becomes a mental health issue. Young had a roller coaster season in his one season with the Sooners and he said that he was a “lifesaver.”
It's good to see young players trying to get ahead of the curve with their mental health instead of waiting until it is too late. The NBA is putting more of a focus on mental health and it seems to be helping guys like the Hawks rookie.
