VIDEO: Larry Sanders speaks candidly on leaving NBA; says he was treated for anxiety, depression
Larry Sanders got very honest on Wednesday.
The Players Tribune released an article and video of the former Milwaukee Bucks center, offering an explanation as to why he chose to walk away from basketball for the time being.
Sanders admitted that he entered into a program for anxiety and depression. Calling himself a person, father and artist who sometimes plays basketball, he both wrote and spoke on video about how NBA millions did not make him happy.
As a person who grew up with nothing, I know money is important. I'm incredibly grateful to have had the chance to play in the NBA. But at the same time, that’s not what fuels me. I've never chased money. It's never been how I define success. Happiness isn't behind a golden gate.
The 26-year-old Sanders says if he gets to a mental point where he can play basketball again, he will. On the video, he talks about the indignities of being a public figure in the social-media era.
"Twitter's like, 'Hey, I hope you go die' and the next one will be like, 'Yo, I love you. Come to my team'," Sanders said with a laugh.
He also talks freely in the video about how stress led him to use marijuana medicinally and how that dynamic shifted once he landed in the NBA.
The video is below. It's fascinating.