AN NBA PLAYER is many things: an athlete, a performer, a brand, a star. He’s likely a millionaire and definitely in superior physical shape. He seems to have everything going for him. But he also suffers the same slings and arrows that send us mere mortals to the therapist’s couch: anxiety, depression, workplace tension. And just as these issues nibble away at our mental health when left unaddressed, they can harm players—on and off the court.
Recognizing this, the league recommended in 2018 that all its teams employ a mental-health professional. That recommendation became a rule a year later, giving rise to the NBA’s groundbreaking Mind Health program, led by Kensa Gunter, Psy.D.,
