Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. spoke candidly about his own battles with mental health in an interview on NBC Sports' Wizards Tipoff podcast. "A lot of people are coming out with things about mental health," he said. "I feel as if, yeah man I've suffered through a lot of things in my life. I've been through a lot of things." At the age of nine, Oubre and his family were uprooted from his hometown of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and moved to Houston, Texas.
Following recent revelations from DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love revolving around the subject of mental health, Oubre Jr. admits that their issues are something he can relate to. "I can definitely relate to it all... I'm really good at keeping a poker face because when I was growing up my dad always told me 'don't let anybody see you weak,'" he said. "Nobody sees that I'm weak, but deep down inside I'm going through a lot. Hell is turning over."
Oubre Jr. says that having his father in his corner has helped him deal with personal conflicts which stem back to his family's displacement following Hurricane Katrina. "It's just that peace of mind, that mental stability he gives me just by seeing him. He doesn't even have to say anything. I just see him," he said. "I feel like we've been through it all. This little piece of adversity, it's not going to hurt me. I will be able to get through it. He's definitely like a crutch that I use to stand on in this life, man."
You can listen to the interview below.
