In the wee hours of February 17, 2018, Sacramento Kings wingman DeMar DeRozan found himself alone, battling thoughts and struggling to find peace in the pressure-filled world of professional basketball. In a moment of vulnerability, he took to X—formerly Twitter—and shared a raw truth.
Although the moment was a personal one for the six-time All-Star, it served as a rallying call for everyone—especially NBA players—who were dealing with depression and other mental health issues. In his new book, “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm,” DeRozan shares the moments that led to his tweet, which sparked a much-needed discussion about mental health in the sports world.
All-Star Weekend in his hometown
Born and raised in Compton, California, the 6-foot-7 wingman was in his hometown to attend the 2018 All-Star Game festivities. While fans see all the pomp and grandeur surrounding the event, NBA players often have a lot more on their minds. From media responsibilities to sponsorship obligations to meetups with different family members, players are pulled in different directions during All-Star Weekend.
As Deebo stayed up until 3 a.m. and had a jam-packed schedule ahead of him, which included All-Star practice and other appearances, the former USC Trojan felt anxious and sought peace from it all. He thought a shower would take care of it but didn’t. While DeMar had grown accustomed to just pushing his feelings down, this time, he didn’t.
“This time — and I can’t explain why — I wrote it down for the whole world to see. I grabbed my cellphone, opened Twitter, and typed, ‘This depression get the best of me …’ and hit send. I turned the phone on silent, closed my eyes and lay back,” DeRozan said in an excerpt from his book that the Toronto Star published.
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Tweet had everyone concerned
When the three-time All-NBA Team member woke up the next day, he noticed a flood of text messages, phone calls, and notifications on his phone. He initially didn’t pay them any attention until he got a phone call from his agent, Aaron Goodwin, who appraised him of the situation his tweet had caused.
“The league office is worried about you. They want to schedule a well-being check-in. Plus, I’ve had reporters calling me non-stop. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be asked about this all day,” DeRozan recalled what his agent told him in that conversation.
“I thought he was overreacting. The way I saw it, all I had done was shared an honest moment — the kind of thing countless people are feeling on any given day. Neither of us realized it at the time, but it was a perspective that hadn’t been expressed by an athlete at my level on that kind of platform,” Deebo continued.
A couple of days later, DeRozan spoke to journalist Doug Smith and explained in detail the depression he was dealing with.
“It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look, we’re all human at the end of the day. It’s nothing I’m ashamed of,” the midrange master said in that interview.
What was initially a profoundly personal moment became a powerful statement from an athlete on the importance of mental health. This eventually led to the NBPA initiating a mental health and wellness program. Later, the league itself created a mental health program that helps players, coaches, and staff members deal with issues of this type.
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