During the last a number of years, extra athletes have begun talking up on the truth of psychological well being struggles in skilled sports activities. Within the NBA, gamers like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan have led these discussions, with others following of their footsteps. After a win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday evening, LA Clippers ahead Robert Covington spent the vast majority of his press convention talking about his personal psychological well being struggles.
“I prefer to preserve folks’s spirits excessive, as a result of I have been at some extent the place I have been annoyed and overwhelmed. That shit takes a toll on you mentally,” Covington stated. “At one level, I used to be able to stroll away from this sport simply due to all of the issues I had happening in my head mentally. I’ve actually executed a whole lot of groundwork inside myself to actually discover out – simply to have enjoyable with it once more.”
Due to the psychological battles he is fought, Covington says he now prides himself on being a man that may deliver pleasure to others. “When guys get down on themselves, I need to be there to talk positivity to them… Them guys know it doesn’t matter what, I all the time received their again,” Covington stated.
When requested extra particularly about when he thought-about leaving the sport of basketball, Covington stated, “Three years in the past. Once I received damage in Minnesota, that was a troublesome time for me. I spent a whole lot of time alone, solitude, and simply mentally out of it in a whole lot of alternative ways. My household would ask me if I am okay in several natures, however I actually wasn’t.”
Covington stated his coach on the time, Ryan Saunders, actually helped him throughout that low level, including that speaking to folks and searching for skilled assist was massive in pulling him out of these darkish locations. “I nonetheless have these conversations with folks. It is nearly uplifting and doing the little issues. Spreading and bringing that power that I discovered inside myself, and pointing it to others,” Covington stated.
Reggie Jackson shared an analogous story in regards to the psychological place he was in following the 2020 bubble, and whereas Covington stated he and Jackson haven’t had a chance to really dive into that subject, it’s one thing that RoCo hopes to have a chance to do with Reggie. “Individuals do not perceive all of the issues we undergo,” Covington stated. “It is a whole lot of negativity that comes about it. If you happen to not in the correct psychological area, man it may possibly eat you.”
Covington completed his message by saying that his lowest level got here when he pushed away everybody who was attempting to assist him, and simply sat in solitude and darkness for an prolonged time period. What in the end pulled Covington out of that place, was the recommendation Ryan Saunders gave him to go see a therapist, which Covington stated actually helped.
With this message, Robert Covington joins an inventory {of professional} athletes who’ve shared their private expertise with psychological well being struggles. His story will resonate with many athletes and non-athletes, with teammate Nicolas Batum already co-signing the message.
For the Clippers, they’re blissful to have Covington for his skills on the court docket, however his locker room presence could also be much more necessary with the angle he shared Tuesday evening.
