LA Clippers' Paul George on the Black community's stigma, and his own mental health battle in the NBA: "Seeking help is a sign of weakness"

All athletes go through their ups and downs, and Paul George is no different. Throughout his 12 years in the league, he has had to overcome huge obstacles to get where he is today.

Like most athletes, Paul George has to deal with battles on and off the court. The life of a pro is not always luxorious, and can drain a person physically and mentally.

Back in 2020, the NBA was forced to play in a bubble to keep their season alive. This isolation affected a lot of players, including the LA Clippers superstar. Along with being cut off from the world, he had to deal with the pushback of blowing a 3-1 lead in the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets.

In a recent story for USA Today, Paul George opened up on his mental health struggles. Part of what made it so hard for him to seek help is certain stigmas within the Black community.

"So there is pressure and stress in being an athlete, and there is also a stigma when it comes to athletes and their mental health – even more so in the Black community. That sigma among athletes and more broadly in Black culture is that seeking help is a sign of weakness," Paul George said.

Paul George drew inspiration from other NBA stars

Over the years, mental health has become a growing talking point in NBA circles. The life of an athlete can be tough, and some players have been open enough to speak about their struggles on a broader stage. Some of the few to have done so include Chicago Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan and Cleveland's Kevin Love.

DeRozan and Love spoke out to try and help other players, and it worked. Paul George has a close relationship with DeRozan and mentioned that he played a role in him putting in the work to find proper help.

"Listening to his struggles made me realize that you should never assume you know what people are going through or what struggles people may be having, and that it's OK to be open when you need help – that the worst thing to do is to ignore or suppress one’s mental health."

George now understands how important it is to work on your mental health, and wants to keep the conversation going like his fellow NBA players. Which is why he made the decision to open up about his own personal struggles. For him, it was about showing people that in the end, we are all human.

"We’re all human, and we’re all in this together. When it comes to mental health, understanding that none of us are superheroes is a great place to start."