Former San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen regrets not speaking out about his mental health issues when he was still in the NBA, after having resisted talking to a professional throughout his career.
“I would have been a better player and a better man,” Bowen told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan.
While most assume Bowen had it good after attending Cal State Fullerton, a school and area known for decent wealth, Bowen shut down the notion rather quickly.
“People thought I was raised in a middle-class family,” he said, laughing. “My mom was strung out on drugs, and my dad was an alcoholic and a womanizer. That was my reality. Even as a child I could see through all their bulls***, but what was I going to do? I didn't even know how to begin to ask for help.”
The former Spur noted the root of his problem also stems from a cultural influence leading him to ignore his problems rather than address them.
“In the African-American culture, there's this tendency to believe if we hide our problems, we'll be better off,” Bowen said. “We are brought up to believe if you talk to people about those things, that's a sign of weakness. But it's not a sign of weakness. It's actually a sign of courage because you are taking the first step towards conquering your problems.
“But the other problem we have is this deep-seated mistrust of the actual people who can help you. We are raised not to trust anybody.”
That mistrust carried into his NBA career, and followed as Bowen became a husband and a father, hoping not to repeat the same mistakes as his own parents.
Bowen was thankful to have played most of his career with the Spurs, an organization known for growing the individual as much as the athlete — a place in which he found some comfort after stints with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
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