Inspired by recent admissions from NBA All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love, Kelly Oubre Jr. has decided to open up about his ongoing mental health battle. The third-year Washington Wizards forward said he’s “suffered through a lot of things in my life” and that he’s “going through a lot” inside.

“Nobody sees that I’m weak, but deep down inside I am going through a lot,” Oubre told NBC Sports Washington’s Chase Hughes. Hell is turning over.”

Oubre said that he’s particularly hard on himself when he makes mistakes, which cause his mind to go through “an internal struggle.” He said he calms himself by going to a secluded place and breathing deeply.

“Just being mindful is the only way I know how to get through any anxiety, any depression or anything like that,” Oubre said.

Oubre felt compelled to speak up after reading about DeRozan and Love

After hinting at his battle with depression with an early-morning tweet on the day of the NBA All-Star Game, DeRozan told the Toronto Star that he’s had “various nights” where he’s struggled with anxiety.

“It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day,” DeRozan told the Star’s Doug Smith. “We all got feelings . . . all of that. Sometimes . . . it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world’s on top of you.”

DeRozan said he wanted to tell his story to let others know it was OK to be struggling like he was. He was proud with the response.

In an article on The Players Tribune, Love shared his story of getting a panic attack in the middle of the game in early November.

After halftime, it all hit the fan. Coach Lue called a timeout in the third quarter. When I got to the bench, I felt my heart racing faster than usual. Then I was having trouble catching my breath. It’s hard to describe, but everything was spinning, like my brain was trying to climb out of my head. The air felt thick and heavy. My mouth was like chalk. I remember our assistant coach yelling something about a defensive set. I nodded, but I didn’t hear much of what he said. By that point, I was freaking out. When I got up to walk out of the huddle, I knew I couldn’t reenter the game — like, literally couldn’t do it physically.

Coach Lue came up to me. I think he could sense something was wrong. I blurted something like, “I’ll be right back,” and I ran back to the locker room. I was running from room to room, like I was looking for something I couldn’t find. Really I was just hoping my heart would stop racing. It was like my body was trying to say to me, You’re about to die. I ended up on the floor in the training room, lying on my back, trying to get enough air to breathe.

Love recovered from that episode, but said it was a turning point that convinced him to share his story instead of holding it inside.

Oubre’s father has been a pillar of support

Oubre said that communication with his father, who attends each of his games, has helped him manage his mental health. “He worries about me keeping my head,” Oubre told NBC Sports Washington.

When Oubre was nine, he was displaced from New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina. His father packed their stuff into his car and slowly made their way to Houston, where Oubre became a top prospect.

“Living in a Motel 6 with dead cockroaches all over the floor,” Oubre said at the 2015 NBA Draft combine. “Seeing my dad struggle, it was tough for me.”
The two have forged a strong bond ever since, and Oubre said that experience has helped him understand that he can overcome long odds.

“This little piece of adversity, it’s not going to hurt me,” Oubre told NBC Sports Washington. “I will be able to get through it.”