5-time All-Star John Wall appeared on The OGs podcast with co-hosts and fellow NBA alum Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller on Tuesday. Touching on expected topics, such as his desire to make it back to the league, Wall entertained throughout. However, in being as straightforward and transparent as he’s been in any interview, Wall also touched on a couple of serious topics.
John Wall Reveals ‘Serious’ Mental Health Struggles
Discussing the events leading up to his mother’s diagnosis with breast cancer and her tragic death in 2019, Wall reveals that her passing away helped lead to him having suicidal thoughts.
“I try to tell people mental health is serious,” Wall says, “so I had to go to get a therapist… Like, if it wasn’t for my two boys, I would have k***** myself. I put a g** to my head twice, and a lot of people that’s close to me and my friends at the time didn’t know.”
“I wanted to commit s******,” Wall repeats. However, able to put his family at the forefront of his mind, Wall asked himself “if I take myself away from this earth… who gonna be there to raise them?”
Wall then revealed that the infamous video of him throwing up gang signs was connected to his depressive state.
“And not to branch off,” Wall says, “but I had a video at the time that came out [of me] throwing up gang signs and stuff like that. That’s when I was at my darkest moment, trying to figure out [how] to find happiness.”
“Nobody’s perfect. You make mistakes,” Wall continues, admitting that trying to cope with his stress by partying “wasn’t the right way.”
John Wall’s Passionate Plea
There are two overarching impressions of who Wall is as a person.
Many believe him to be a rambunctious type; fun-loving and energetic. Many also question his moral fiber, wondering if Wall is a member of a street gang, was a member of said organization, or simply affiliated with them. However, neither is mutually exclusive, with most believing that he’s somewhere in between or a mix of those two distinct identities.
Yet, far fewer people realize that Wall is like anyone else. With more than a quarter-billion dollars in career earnings, Wall is a rich man, if not downright wealthy. He’s also one of the most popular players of the millennium, with his name or likeness known by millions of people. Nonetheless, he’s still affected by the loss of loved ones. He’s still capable of having an existential crisis when his world crashes down around him.
While Wall may have earned some of the criticism levied his way, he should’ve been given just as much grace. With that said, therapy is a way that people can extend forgiveness to themselves. It’s a medium in which supercharged emotions can thrash and flail without a person fearing judgment for expressing them. Most importantly, it’s a tool that anybody can use whenever they’re struggling mentally or emotionally.
“I still talk to a therapist to this day to figure out and better myself out,” Wall says. “Go get help. It’s okay.”
If you or somebody that you know is in a mental health crisis, please don’t hesitate to call the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988 or emergency services at 911. You are not alone.
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