I found out some intriguing news about a man named John Wall. For those of you who don’t know, he is a former All-Star basketball player in the NBA. Over the course of his career, he’s made at least a hundred million dollars in career earnings playing basketball. He has two sons. He has a wife. And he obviously has the money and the fame.
By all accounts from an outsider’s perspective, he’s had a good life. He’s living a life that many people would be envious to have. Who wouldn’t want to earn hundreds of millions of dollars in his life? I’d certainly take that.
But the story came out recently that John Wall was struggling with his mental health this past year. Even to the point where he contemplated suicide. That’s right. An All-Star NBA basketball millionaire player who seemingly has it all thought about suicide this year. How could that happen?
Turns out, that his life isn’t exactly all rose petals. He’s had some career threatening injuries to his legs that he’s had to deal with over the past few years. He’s missed tons of games over the past few seasons. And despite having one of the richest contracts in the NBA, he’s considered a disappointment by the pundits and the sports world out there. And even considered to be something of a joke simply because he hasn’t played that much because of his injuries.
On top of all these career struggles, his mom passed away a few years ago. And a few years after that, his grandma passed away as well. Then, there was the COVID pandemic that just put everything on a standstill. He was going through some utter real-world problems behind the scenes. You think a man’s got it all. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong.
I can’t obviously say or know how it feels to go through all this turmoil and anxiety and loss at such a young age. After all, he’s still in his early 30’s. But I do feel for the guy. And it’s good to know that currently he’s in a safer and better space mentally. He’s recently been traded to a good situation in Los Angeles, and he looks forward to playing meaningful basketball games again for the first time in a while.
He’s also been getting a lot of support from his fellow NBA players like Lebron James and Bradley Beal, who was his former teammate. It just goes to show you that nobody in this world is Superman. Someone may seem like they got it all on the outside. But you just never know. The world can be a cruel place sometimes. And loss and heartbreak and struggle will come for the best of us.
During those times, don’t be afraid to seek help. For John Wall, he was lucky to have had a therapist that he could consult in. Don’t be afraid to share your struggles with the right people. And bring it forth to light. Don’t be afraid to surround yourself with drama free supportive friends and family. Because many times, they will help you get through the tough times in life.
We all go through these phases. We all have moments where we struggle and need some help. And that’s okay. Most of us will never earn hundreds of millions of US dollars in our lifetime. Most of us can only dream of earning that type of money, no matter how hard we worked. And John Wall was able to accomplish that in his 20’s.
He should be having a life that we are all envious about. Yet even he considered killing himself at some point. It’s a sobering reminder that money is important, but it is definitely also not the end all be all towards living a life of fulfillment and joy.
I don’t have the solution on hand. But his story shows that mental health is very important in this day and age. Especially in a society that is now dominated by social media and a constant barrage of judgment from the public eye. All the money and fame that you garner can be meaningless if not viewed from the right lens.
At some point, we just need to find our safe space. Find a supportive group of people that you can count on when times get rough. Someone that you can talk to. Someone that you can find solace and comfort in. And don’t be afraid to ask for help most importantly. No matter how tough or successful someone seems to be on the outside, nobody is living a perfect stress-free life.
We have all the conveniences in this modern world – from technology to vaccines to public transport to toilets to entertainment – all at our fingertips. Yet, the human condition still remains, and we should not be envious of anybody else’s life. Because many people have it hard, no matter how rich they seem to be. Money doesn’t cure all illnesses.
I think what’s most important is taking care of both your physical and emotional health. And to be in the right mental headspace. Put in the work. Find the right people that you can invest in. Find the right safety net. And practice a little bit of gratitude each and every day to live a more healthy, more joyful, more peaceful life.
Again, I sympathize with John. I wish him the best in this upcoming basketball season. And I’m happy that he is looking forward to playing basketball again. And I hope that we all find similar fulfillment and joy and support and peace in a life filled with inevitable struggles.