The NBA announced that they have partnered with Headspace to help the NBA family – including the members of the WNBA, NBA G League, and NBA 2K League – cope with mental illness through meditation:
“The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Headspace, the world’s leading meditation and mindfulness app, today announced a partnership that brings meditation to the NBA family by providing all league and team employees, across the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA G League and NBA 2K League, access to Headspace’s popular app.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the importance of the Headspace partnership, which is just the latest step the league has taken to promote mental health awareness:
“The focus in sports training has often been exclusively on physical conditioning, but as top athletes at all levels have increasingly learned, mental fitness is also a critical determinate of success. The NBA is committed to promoting healthy living and we are pleased that through our partnership with Headspace, we are able to provide the NBA family with a resource to support mental wellness.”
.Co-founder and CEO Rich Pierson also spoke on how Headspace can help a victim of mental illness, even when the stronger emphasis for a professional athlete seems to be physical health:
“We hear it time and time again from athletes that the differentiator is not their physicality, but their mental toughness and focus. Mindfulness training allows us to be more aware of ourselves and to be more in the moment. We are thrilled that the NBA recognizes this and has chosen us as their partner in this space. Making meditation part of your training strategy can help anyone quickly recognize when they’ve been distracted, regain focus and get their head back in the game.”
With the likes of Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love speaking out about their own personal struggles with mental illness, which seemingly opened the door for other athletes to speak up on the issue, this partnership is a great way for the NBA to provide help with and promote the importance of an issue affecting the lives of countless athletes and employees.
