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NBA players and anxiety: what Kevin Love, DeMar DeRozan and Paul George taught us
How three NBA stars opened up about panic attacks, anxiety and depression, what happened next, how the league changed its rules, and what their stories can teach anyone living with anxiety.
Breatheasy team27 October 2026 · 5 min read
Elite athletes seem built for pressure. They play in front of thousands of people, with millions watching, and make split-second decisions with the game on the line. So when some of the NBA’s biggest stars started talking openly about panic attacks, anxiety and depression, it surprised a lot of people, and helped many more.
Here are three of their stories, what changed afterwards, and what they can teach anyone living with anxiety.
Breatheasy isn’t connected with the NBA or any of the players mentioned. Everything here comes from their own public words and published reporting.
Kevin Love: a panic attack mid-game
On November 5, 2017, during a home game against the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love had his first panic attack.
In an essay for The Players’ Tribune in March 2018, he described what happened during a third-quarter timeout: his heart was racing, he had trouble breathing, and he felt dizzy and overwhelmed. He left the court, ran to the locker room and ended up lying on the floor of the training room. He was taken to the Cleveland Clinic, where tests came back normal.
Afterwards, the Cavaliers helped him find a therapist. He kept seeing them regularly, and the sessions helped him face things he’d never dealt with, including grief for his grandmother.
His essay was called “Everyone Is Going Through Something.” As he wrote: “Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.”
DeMar DeRozan: “This depression get the best of me”
Early on February 17, 2018, before the All-Star Game, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan posted a tweet quoting a Kevin Gates lyric: “This depression get the best of me.”
In an interview with the Toronto Star a few days later, he explained that he had dealt with depression and anxiety, with difficult nights going back to when he was young. The response from fans and fellow players was overwhelmingly supportive.
Kevin Love later said that DeRozan speaking out encouraged him to publish his own story.
Paul George: anxiety in the bubble
In 2020, NBA teams finished their season inside a “bubble” at Walt Disney World, isolated from family and friends because of COVID-19.
During a playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers star Paul George went through a severe shooting slump. After a big Game 5 performance, he told reporters he had been in a dark place: “I had anxiety. A little bit of depression.” He said he had underestimated mental health, and credited his teammates, family, friends and the team psychiatrist with helping him.
How the NBA changed
In 2019, the NBA introduced new mental health rules for teams. According to reporting at the time, every team had to:
- have at least one full-time licensed mental health professional on staff
- identify a licensed psychiatrist to help with players’ mental health
- have a written plan for mental health emergencies
Players speaking out helped make mental health something the league planned for, rather than something players hid.
What their stories teach us
Panic attacks can happen to anyone. Strength, fitness, money and success don’t protect you. Panic is the body’s alarm system, and it can go off in anyone.
The body symptoms are completely convincing. Kevin Love’s racing heart and breathlessness felt serious enough to go to hospital. That’s what panic does, and it’s why getting checked the first time is the right call. Our post on what a panic attack feels like explains more.
Pressure and isolation take a toll. Paul George linked his struggles to the isolation of the bubble. Stress, loneliness and poor sleep can all make anxiety harder to manage.
Therapy works. Both Love and George described professional support as a turning point. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps most people with panic attacks and anxiety.
Talking helps others. DeRozan’s tweet led to Love’s essay, which led countless others to speak up. Sharing what you’re going through, even with one person, can make a real difference.
If you’re dealing with panic attacks
In the moment:
- Name it: “This is a panic attack. It will peak and pass.”
- Breathe out slowly: in for 4, out for 6.
- Ground yourself: feel your feet on the floor and name a few things you can see.
- Let the wave pass without fighting it.
If it’s your first panic attack, or you have chest pain that spreads to your arm, jaw, neck or back, or you faint, call 911 to rule out anything else. Our post on how to stop a panic attack has the full steps.
If you’re having thoughts of ending your life, call or text 988 (US) now.
Frequently asked questions
Which NBA player had a panic attack during a game?
Kevin Love, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers, had a panic attack during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 5, 2017. He wrote about it in The Players’ Tribune in March 2018.
Do professional athletes get anxiety?
Yes. Athletes face intense pressure, travel, injuries and public scrutiny, and they’re as likely as anyone to experience anxiety and depression. Many have now spoken about it publicly.
What did the NBA do about mental health?
In 2019, the league required every team to have at least one full-time licensed mental health professional and access to a licensed psychiatrist, and to have a written plan for mental health emergencies, according to reports at the time.
Can you play sport with panic attacks?
Many people do. Kevin Love kept playing for years after his first panic attack, with the help of therapy. Treatment, practice with calming skills and support from people around you all help.
How Breatheasy can help
You don’t need to be a pro athlete to need help in the moment. With Breatheasy, tap “I’m feeling anxious” and Luma walks you through it: rate how strong it feels, breathe slowly as your phone pulses gently, ground yourself with 5-4-3-2-1, then see how far the anxiety came down. It works without internet, and it’s always free. Breatheasy is coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Sources
- Everyone is going through something, Kevin Love, The Players’ Tribune, 2018
- DeMar DeRozan opens up about depression after tweet, NBA.com, 2018
- Clippers’ Paul George says he dealt with anxiety, depression in bubble, ESPN, 2020
- NBA now requires teams to add full-time mental health staff, CNBC, 2019
- Panic disorder, NHS
