LaMarcus Aldridge could have been with the Nets this week trying to close out their first-round series against the Boston Celtics, but instead the 35-year-old is facing another battle at home as he tries to overcome some personal demons after he was forced into an early retirement this season.
“I’ve been depressed, and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate through not competing on the floor, learning not to be depressed,” he told NBA Insider Shams Charania. “I still love basketball. I still feel like I have a lot to give. But even now, I’m still trying to find myself. When you go from doing something you love for so long and you lose it overnight, it’s a shock.”
Mental health has become a central issue in the sports world recently, with more athletes speaking out about their challenges.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka made waves this week when she withdrew from the French Open after being fined for declining press conferences with reporters after citing her mental health as her reasoning, which has sparked further discussion.
Aldridge, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs prior to joining the Nets this year, was forced to retire in April after discovering he had an irregular heartbeat.
The 6-foot-11 center said he has dealt with a heart condition for his entire 15-year career, but noticed things were unusual during an April 10 game against the Lakers and began feeling his heart beat differently later that night.
Yet, while he walked away for his own health and safety, the pain of no longer playing basketball was hard to escape.
“Every time you say, ‘Hey, I’m retired’ to someone, when it just happened, I would definitely get emotional,” he said. “I’m still trying to figure out ways to be happy now. I definitely was depressed and was trying to figure out how to bounce back from it, because it was so dramatic that I didn’t know how to re-find myself.
“I talked to James [Harden] also; he just wanted to know what happened. I was like, ‘You remember I kept saying I can’t get my body going?’ He’s like: ‘Yeah, I thought you meant rhythm, like shooting?’ I said: ‘Nah, like my heart.’ He said: ‘Man, I didn’t know that.’”
Aldridge, who averaged 19.4 points and 8.2 rebounds over 1,029 career games, could make an argument that he has had a Hall of Fame career. Adding a ring would have certainly solidified his case and added to his legacy.
Walking away from that is something he has struggled to come to terms with.
“That was the hardest part,” he said. “I had never been to the Finals…It was a chance for me to make that next step, a chance for me to add to my legacy and see what it feels like. I’ve always prided myself on embracing moments and trying to grow and learn from every moment. I wanted to get there and see what it’s like, help those guys win and be a part of the journey. And then if we got there hopefully we would go back two or three more times. So that was definitely the hardest part for me.”
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