No, I never played for the Kings and I’m sorry for your experience

He has publicly spoken about his diagnosis of depression and his advocacy for us in the black community to be accepting of mental health treatment and medication. I know he was working on a book as well. He’s a very sweet person, grew up in Compton, lost his father to illness in 2021, and he’s struggled to balance that with the NBA. When his dad was on his deathbed, he would fly from whatever city he just played a game in, and go home to Compton, because he had anxiety about not wanting to miss a moment with his father, and not wanting to be on the road when he died. He said his death nearly ended him, and he almost quit life and basketball. But here he is.

He has done so much to help change the stigma. Men are allowed to have emotions, including fear, sadness, and worry. And there’s nothing wrong with medication. His efforts led the NBA to require every team to employ a staff psychologist. It doesn’t mean anyone will reach out for help, but DeMar did that. 💗

I wish we would have had an era where we had DeMar, Westbrook, and DJ here all at once. They are very fierce advocates for men’s wellness and mental health across the board. We need them back as wellness coaches. They are all Cali bros and very close.

I know DJ had expressed frustration about when our young bench guys used to not listen, skip his team yoga/meditation classes, not take his driving lessons seriously or not even show up, etc. But very quickly, he established himself to a point where when he spoke, the young guys listened. He got through to every single one of them, except for Bones Hyland at the time lol. But the proof is there- last night when the game ended, you saw our whole bench AND coaching staff run straight to greet DJ like he was Santa Claus lol. There was a line to hug him. Strawther got there first. I know DJ still had to finish helping him and PWAT get their driver’s licenses, but maybe DeMar will pick up that role for Strawther this season ☺️

Edit: His book is out!! Please check one out from your local library, or purchase a copy! It’s called: “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm” 💗💗

A great Christmas gift 🎁

Why are people in the comments joking or acting like he’s joking. Him and Kevin Love literally have promoted the issue of mental health with the NBPA and they both have serious histories of mental health issues. Like he’s probably coping with something right now — even if he’s not currently aware.

I have his book and I do recommend it. In the book, he mentions his dad putting him in a closet with no lights on. To me, what Demar wrote here, falls in line with his experiences. I wish him peace.

Mental health is so difficult to understand. You can be living what was once your dream life and still struggle to find a meaning to your existence.

that feeling when you wake up and sit in your bed for a few seconds not wanting to get up to go to work

I thought this was a Mazzulla quote for a second

I feel what he’s saying. Hope he’s good. I don’t think it has anything to do with the game, though. He has battled depression for a while now.

i laughed at this then remembered he wrote about depression in the players tribune a few years ago and now i’m sad

DeMar saw a lot of shit growing up but still became a really nice guy. Hope he’s alright

DeMar most likely has depression and while I don’t think he has outwardly admitted the diagnosis, a lot of his tweets, community service, and his book have alluded to it. I can’t speak for anywhere else he played but he did a lot for San Antonio’s community in regards to improving mental health services. I strongly recommend his Dinners With DeMar series on youtube. (That link is him and Dame talking)

I hope that he’s able to find the positivity and move forward

Nuggets, please take care of this man. He’s a good human.

That sounds not good coming from an expert

oh man…he’s just like me!

Yes. Very relatable. I felt like no one cared and I had no friends. Like I could just disappear. It felt okay at times.

Doesn’t this guy battle/battled depression? Hope things are well with him.

When I shoot 1-10 on rec, and have to wake up for work tomorrow

Prefer the darkness Bro. I’ve always had respect for how DeMar is open about his struggles. He’s a real one.

I know people online find it really easy to mock him but this really my guy. I really hope he’s ok 💔

Lowkey, sitting alone in the dark is kinda rad

I hope he’s ok. I know he suffers from depression and when your mind allows it to win, it’s so fucking dark.

This could be a serious issue and I hope he’s able to get help if it is.

I hope he’s utilizing his support system and he has people checking in on him closely. Depression can be quite a slippery slope.

Wishing him all the best

poor guy man. he might never be safe in his life, or at ease from his affliction. hope hes able to stick it out and find joy and happiness.

Yeah honestly this is concerning

Thats dark! Someone should seek out help for him asap!

Hope he’s doing okay. Very underrated bucket-getter in the history of the NBA. Top 20 all-time in points is nothing to sneeze at.

You alright Demar? No man is an island

It sounds like his days with the Sacramento Kings locker room

Aaron rodgers does that for fun. All jokes aside depression is very serious and not fun at all. Absolutely horrible to go through something you can’t even explain.

Where did he say this? The link goes nowhere with the real quote