In an appearance on The OGs Podcast with hosts Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, former NBA star John Wall revealed he put a gun to his head on two different occasions during the height of his suicidal ideation.
The former Clippers and Rockets player has been forthcoming about his mental health issues following the passing of his mother in 2019, and during his chat on The OGs, he opened up about how much he struggled at his lowest point.
“Mental health is serious, I had to go get a therapist after that,” Wall said around the 1:08:00 mark of the video above. “If it wasn't for my two boys… I put a gun to my head twice, and a lot of people that's close to me and my friends at the time didn't know.”
John Wall reveals he put a gun to head twice and almost committed suicide
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Wall's mother, Frances Pulley, died at age 58.
Wall had two particularly tough years in 2019 and 2020, during which time his grandmother also died. He also took a full year to recover from surgery for a ruptured Achilles.
“Man, if I take myself away from this Earth I'm failing my kids,” he recalled telling himself. “I know I gotta be there for them. … At that time, I was in a dark space trying to find happiness. So for me it was going out, partying, having fun. Just trying to find something to get me some peace and it wasn't the right way.”
Wall explained that the situation wasn't helped by his status in the NBA declining around the time of his injury, when he went from one of the best players in the league to, as he put it, “rock bottom.”
“I still talk to a therapist to this day,” he continued. “So if you ever feel like you're in a spot where you're not comfortable, as a Black man, African-American, or any race… Go get help, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with it. I had to figure that out or I wouldn't be here today.”
This article was originally published on Complex.com.
