Former NBA point guard John Wall has once before opened up about his mental health, mostly because he was dealing with the death of his mother. That caused Wall to spiral and contemplate taking his own life on more than one occasion.
Wall recently appeared on “The OGs Podcast” with former NBA players Udonis Hassles and Mike Miller, where he opened up about his mental health.
“Mental health is serious, so I had to go get a therapist after that,” Wall said. “If it wasn’t for my two boys … I put a gun to my head twice, and a lot of people that’s close to me and my friends at the time didn’t know. I had a video that came out throwing up gang signs and stuff like that when I was in my darkest moment trying to figure out how to find happiness.”
"Twice I wanted to commit suicide, but I was like, 'Man, if I take myself away from this earth, I'm failing my kids. Like, who gonna be there to raise them?'"
John Wall opens up about his past mental health struggles 🙏
(via @theOGsShow)pic.twitter.com/oNBGXEKVMc
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 12, 2024
Miller wanted Wall to expound on what he said about putting the gun to his head.
“Twice, I wanted to commit suicide,” Wall said. “I said ‘Man, if I take myself away from this earth I’m failing my kids.’ Who gonna be there to raise them? I know I gotta be there for them. At that time, I was in a dark space trying to find happiness. So, for me, it was going out, partying, having fun, just trying to find something to get me some peace — and it wasn’t the right way.”
Wall wrote a story for the Players’ Tribune in 2022 about his mental health struggles and how injuries and his mother’s death affected him during the past few years.
“I still talk to a therapist to this day,” Wall said. “If you ever feel like you’re in a spot where you’re not comfortable. … Go get help, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with it. I had to figure that out, or I wouldn’t be here today.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
