By: Anna Chuang
Well-known athletes like track star Allyson Felix, tennis player Naomi Osaka, gymnast Simone Biles, and many more have spoken out about mental health in the world of athletics. Being highly committed to a sport can take a toll on anyone, and experiencing setbacks even after putting in so much effort can be demoralizing. All famous athletes have had their fair share of ups and downs. Playing a sport isn’t completely about physical strength, and physical strength is the result of having a healthy and tough mindset and spirit. This new generation of Black athletes are speaking out about what it means to be mentally healthy, and the power of having good mental health. Former professional basketball player Lanny Smith is part of this group, and talks about how his career came to a devastating end, along with how he started a new one.
Smith had one lifelong dream—to make it to the NBA. He was off to a great start when he was young. As he grew up, he played against other elite basketball players like LeBron James and Chris Paul. Smith was on the best teams, traveling from country to country, and getting better and better. Making it to the NBA was within reach for him. His dream finally came true when he signed his first NBA contract in 2009. But thirty-three days later, a 250-pound teammate fell onto his knee and tore his cartilage. And his dream was finished just like that. The fact that he worked so hard for his dream to come true only for it to end in a month shows just how devastating this loss was for him.
Smith quickly fell into depression and started drinking and not going outdoors, in case he runs into someone that knows about his career and asks what happened. He doesn’t want to get reminded about how his career came to an end. According to the Los Angeles Times, Smith said, “I went from literally being with the best athletes in the entire world to back at home living with my mother. The depression also came from the fear of the future. What was I gonna do next with my life? I dedicated my whole life to make it to the NBA. That was my dream. That was my plan, A, B, and C.”
Although Smith fell deep into depression, he gathered the courage to turn his life back around. He used the remaining morsel of mental strength he had left, and in 2011 launched his first-ever brand known as Active Faith. He partnered with Anthony Toler and professional basketball player Stephen Curry in his new business. As he had wished, the business boomed, and Active Faith has had over $20 million in sales, along with customers wanting to buy from them all over the world.
Smith is glad that he was able to make a difference in the world. Even though it wasn’t his plan A, B, or C, he was able to courageously make a successful plan D after the heartbreaking turn of events that ended his career. As stated in the Los Angeles Times, Smith said, “Helping others also gave me purpose and meaning. The NBA had me speak to players and teams about my transition into life after basketball…I’ve been able to find success after the NBA. Being able to talk to guys and let them know there is hope on the other side of this—there is another life on the other side—this has been a blessing.”