Dwyane Wade blames his blackness for mental health crises

Dwyane Wade recently revealed why he sought professional help for mental health after strongly rejecting it.

The 44-year-old former professional basketball player spoke to Jenna Bush Hager at the Tribeca Festival in New York City on Wednesday, June 10, where he lifted the lid on his mental health journey.

During a live storytelling session, Wade shared that his retirement from basketball turned out to be a challenging decision for him after he devoted his life to the sport.

Voicing his thoughts, he said, “Once you retire, that's when, you know … you really go through a moment, a time of depression.”

“And it's how you decide to handle that depression which is going to determine your next step because, you know — since I was 5 years old — that's what I did, played basketball. And then I was really good at it. So, now you're coming out of this world and … now I got to get another skill,” the Miami Heat legend explained.

Even though Wade was against the idea of therapy, he booked his appointment for his mental wellness soon after his retirement.

“I was the Black man that was like, ‘Therapy ain't for me,’” he admitted.

“Basketball not only was a place where I had so much success … it was also my outlet, you know what I mean? Like, I could scream. I can yell. I can curse. I could, you know — not fight — but you know, get a little aggressive out there, and I just can't do all those things [in everyday life]. I can't come home and do all those [things],” Wade detailed.

“And so I was like, ‘Okay, where do I put this energy?'” he noted.

It is pertinent to mention that Dwyane Wade did not want his loved ones to suffer because of his emotions and that is why he took a courageous step of consulting an expert in mental health care.