NBA campaign addresses mental health and athletes

.....When the Raptors played in New York in March, NBA commissioner Adam Silver met with DeRozan to discuss the matter. Besides the TV ads, the league is coming out this week with a website that will include links to mental health resources for not only young and older athletes but the public.

DeRozan and Love, who comes from the Los Angeles area, could also contribute by speaking at the league`s rookie transition program events.

"The best thing I did was come out and say, `Hey look, I need some help,`" Love says in one of his ad spots.

Said DeRozan, "Never be ashamed of wanting to be a better you, period."

They are, of course, not the first athletes to talk openly about mental wellness, but too often the headline-grabbing stories in the sports sections these days focus on trivial matters like bad calls by officials.

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Bethany`s Notes: Looks like the NBA is finally getting on board to address some mental health needs expressed by the league`s athletes. NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West wrote a book entitled "West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life" SEVEN YEARS ago which detailed his struggles with depression and self-esteem. Glad to see the NBA is finally on board in getting help to those who need it.