Adam Silver says many NBA players "unhappy"

Probably more so than any league head in the four professional sports, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is in tune with what his players think.

Since taking over for David Stern in that role back in 2014, Silver has made it a priority of his to make sure NBA players are individuals. That they can take stands and give opinions on the biggest issues of the day.




This apparently hasn’t helped some overcome the anxiety that players feel in the social media age.

Silver spoke recently at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston and gave this rather damning assessment of mental health in the NBA.

The commissioner noted that the feeling he gets from players after meeting with them is that they are isolated and unhappy.

“WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF ANXIETY,” SILVER SAID, VIA ESPN. “I THINK IT’S A DIRECT RESULT OF SOCIAL MEDIA. A LOT OF PLAYERS ARE UNHAPPY. I’M AN ANXIOUS PERSON MYSELF. THAT’S WHY THE PLAYERS LIKE TALKING TO ME.”

Given the unparalleled success NBA players are seeing in the modern age, this has to be considered somewhat of a surprise.




Then again, economic health and popularity have never really helped those in the public eye overcome mental health issues.

Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love have previously opened up about their own mental health struggles.

At a time when we’re becoming more aware of mental health, the stigma surrounding this growing issue is no longer what it used to be.

By opening up about it, Mr. Silver is at least doing his part to help further the conversation.

Silver is a mensch and has been one for a lifetime. In high school he befriended, I believe, an African exchange student, and did his best to make him feel welcome in the USA.

I have a friend in Sarasota whose brother, Matt Wynick, was Silver's mentor at the NBA office for a decade. Wynick had been the longest serving member of NBA staff when he retired in 2015, having joined in 1976 when there were only 20 people in the whole organization. He was long in charge of all NBA schedules and eventually became Senior Advisor to NBA President Rod Thorn. Anyways. Matt thought Silver a mensch. And I concur.