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NBA Owners Reportedly Want Access to Players' Mental Health Records
While NBA players like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan publicly raise awareness for mental health concerns, ESPN.com's Jackie MacMullanreported that some team owners want access to the full range of players' medical records:
"The union insists that mental health treatment be confidential, but some NBA owners, who in some cases are paying their players hundreds of millions of dollars, want access to the files of their 'investments.'
"Confidentiality, says Love, has to be non-negotiable. Without it, he says, he never would have become comfortable enough to announce from that All-Star dais that he was seeking treatment."
Houston Rockets assistant coach John Lucas told MacMullan he believes 40 percent or more of NBA players have mental health concerns, and Dr. William Parham—who serves as the director of mental health and wellness for the NBA Players Association—said that number wasn't an exaggeration.
"It's an epidemic in our league," Lucas said. "I'm talking about everything from ADHD to bipolar [disorder] to anxiety and depression."
Another issue is that many players don't realize they are struggling with mental health or don't seek treatment.
An Eastern Conference coach told MacMullan: "I've got three guys on my team—two on medication. Some days they're fine. Some days they aren't. I'm trying to be as sensitive as I can, but I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist, and sometimes I'm asked to be."
Players like Love have been at the forefront of destigmatizing mental health issues. Love appeared on the Today Show with Carson Daly Monday to speak about the subject.
DeRozan has also spoken out about his struggles with depression and anxiety.
"You think when you come from a difficult environment that if you get out and you make it to the NBA, all that bad stuff is supposed to be wiped clean," he told MacMullan. "But then this whole new dynamic loaded with stress comes your way."
"With an investment in player wellness, these athletes can perform at an even higher level than they are now," Parham added. "But they have to be willing. Otherwise, nobody can help them."
Coutesy of BR
