Alex Abrines talked about his mental health issues and praised his former teammate Russell Westbrook for his help off the court.
Here is what the forward of Barcelona told Basket en Movistar+:
On Russell Westbrook: “He’s a very nice guy. He helped me a lot especially in the first year. In most of our trips we did something together, watch a movie, have dinner. When I went through all this and did not travel with the team, he kept in touch.
He asked me to meet him for dinner. He cared for the person beyond the player. He calmly told me what I should do, noting that he would support me if I decided to leave.”
On his mental health issues: “Athletes are normal people, but are pressured above average. Medication helps, but at the end of the day you must seek professional aid, discuss with friends and family, move forward with their support.
It is a different kind of pain. Physical pain is something you can see and feel. Mental pain can not be observed and can not be treated like an injured knee for example. If you don’t go through something similar, you can’t realize it.
In the end of the day, money is not above everything. Until it happens, you don’t realize that you don’t give a shit about money.”
