Don’t look now, but we’re less than a month away from the start of the 2018-19 NBA season. Training camps start up in a few days, preseason games will commence starting on Sept. 28, and on Oct. 16, the season will officially get underway, with the Boston Celtics hosting the Philadelphia 76ers before the Golden State Warriors take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s an exciting time for basketball fans, as we keep inching closer and closer to the NBA’s return. But before that happens, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA president Michele Roberts made it a point to pen a letter to players regarding off-the-court resources the league has established recently regarding players’ mental health and wellness.
The news of the letter’s existence was broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic, saying that Silver and Roberts wanted “to utilize increased resources for personal development and newly-enhanced mental wellness programs.”
For @TheAthleticNBA and @WatchStadium: NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michelle Roberts co-authored a preseason letter obtained, encouraging players to utilize increased resources for personal development and newly-enhanced mental wellness programs.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 18, 2018
The letter was soon tweeted out by Blazers guard C.J. McCollum, who praised the individuals in charge of the NBA and NBPA for their leadership.
Best League in the world. What great leadership looks like 👌🏾 pic.twitter.com/cywJTjWPTF
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) September 18, 2018
“We’re also offering more resources for your own personal development,” the letter read. “Each of our offices has newly-enhanced mental wellness programs, which we encourage you to use to manage stress, anxiety and other challenges. It’s a critical step that can also encourage teammates and fans alike to understand that it’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to ask for help.
“Above all, our partnership shows that we are one family. We may not always agree on every issue, but we still look out for one another,” Roberts and Silver continued. “We listen and learn from each other. And we understand that we’re all part of something bigger than just a game.”
The NBA has made the mental health and wellbeing of its players a priority, especially as players like DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love have been open about their experiences on the subject.
