Former Chicago Bulls player Jaden Ivey‘s recent crashout has brought conversations about mental health, particularly with high pressure and profile athletes to the forefront once again. In the past, many athletes have turned to alternative methods of healing and coping, which have ultimately led to further problems.
Kendrick Perkins Feels For Jaden Ivey: Perk Used Marijuana To Deal With Mental Health Issues
On a recent episode of the “Road Trippin’ Show,” Kendrick Perkins addressed the recent controversy surrounding Ivey and his subsequent actions after being waived by the Chicago Bulls for what the organization deemed as offensive comments against various groups.
While acknowledging that Ivey needed help, Perkins revealed some personal challenges he faced in his playing days, and how he tried to overcome them with marijuana, instead of doubling down on his focus and dedication to his all-around game.
“I just want people to know that it’s OK to go seek help and sit down, even if it’s a conversation two or three times a week,” Perkins began. “Hell, I was in a f—ing drug program the whole time I was playing in the NBA because I couldn’t put the weed down.”
“I have a lot of f—ing regrets as a player throughout the course of my 14-year career because I felt like I prioritized weed in the offseason over actually working on my game. While I was smoking 500 blunts a week, I should have been putting up 500 shots a f—ing week.”
Kendrick Perkins Says He Has Many Regrets About His 14-Year Career
Perkins wasn’t a sensational NBA talent. His 14-year career brought him a lot less fame than his post career as one of ESPN’s most recognizable on-air talents. His claim to fame is winning an NBA championship in 2008 as a bruising rotation piece for the “Big Three Plus 1” Boston Celtics (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo).
While Perkins was able to seek and receive the proper help he needed from the league, the same cannot be said for some of the other players who have seen their careers derailed because of drug abuse or mental health-related issues, such as Delonte West.
Things can snowball quickly. Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George recently served a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Program recently. While George wasn’t chain-smoking blunts like Perk, he claimed that he mistakenly used the improper medication to address his mental health issues. Another obstacle is that people tend not to believe you when you are a rich athlete claiming to have these challenges.
Stories such as these have been covered plenty over the years.
The NBA has always been pretty loose with marijuana restrictions and as of the last CBA, the NBA no longer tests players for marijuana and it has been removed from the league’s prohibited substances list. So Perk’s stories of playing under a cloud of marijuana dust instead of improving as a hooper can be received with a bit of comic relief.
Especially, considering how he navigated his post-playing career.
Who knows if he’s still burning the midnight oils prior to hitting the airwaves with Stephen A. Smith or any number of sports voices across various platforms. It doesn’t really matter much anyway. He’s just letting the young heads know he can relate having to navigate mental issues at a time when there were much less outlets of help, tolerance and understanding.
