Los Angeles Lakers controlling-owner Jeanie Buss wants to make one thing clear — mental health issues are no joke and the NBA should be uniform in supporting players who have them.

If the declarations of DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love weren't enough to bring the topic into the forefront, ESPN's Jackie MacMullan's three-part story on mental health issues in the league should be eye-opening enough to recognize it as a legitimate concern for the health of its players.

“Mixed messages aren't going to help our players,” Buss told MacMullan. “We need to create a nonjudgmental space where there is no place for the opinion that your way of thinking is better than everyone else's. If a player is self-medicating [with alcohol or drugs] because that's what makes them feel better, or at least that's what they think, we have to find a way to provide them alternatives that are collaborative and confidential.”

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Buss' response comes at the heels of DeRozan's claim, saying he's aware that some of his peers might be self-medicating with drugs or alcohol to ease their pain.

The latter part of Buss' words attributes to how some owners want their players' mental health issues to be disclosed to them, as a tag on their “investments” — a request that not only crosses a line but opens a Pandora's box of HIPAA violations and potential discrimination suits when contract talks arise.

Players should be allowed to seek help confidentially and painlessly, just as concussions, migraines, and flu symptoms are treated with regularity over the course of the NBA season.