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On March 28, former Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond announced that he was taking time away to focus on his mental health, which also meant missing the Chicago Bulls‘ game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 29.
Deleting all my social apps my Managment will take over , also changing my number ..
Time to focus on my mental health . If you too are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone 💙 it’s okay to ask for help
When Drummond returned, he opened up to reporters about how hard it can be to live a normal life and being a professional athlete.
“We’re looked at as superheroes, that nothing really bothers us and we don’t have a life outside the game,” Drummond told reporters. “That’s what people fail to understand, that we do have personal lives outside of the game. And it becomes taxing at times. And that superhero cape we have on has to come off at some point. It’s OK to ask for help. It’s OK to feel. It’s OK to be emotional. We’re all men, but we have to be OK with having feelings.”
Drummond also talked about the support he received after deciding to take some time off to focus on his mental well-being.
“Everybody was there for me. Nobody really knew what was going on. I was dealing with a lot mentally and I had to take some time away to really clear my mind and address some things that I’d been neglecting for awhile, and I feel okay.”
Drummond opens up about taking time to focus on mental health:
“That superhero cape we have on has to come off at some point. It’s OK to ask for help. It’s OK to feel. It’s OK to be emotional.”
Andre Drummond Believes Joel Embiid is MVP
Before the Sixers took on Bulls on March 20, Drummond vocalized his support for former teammate Joel Embiid as this season’s MVP.
“I wish I could make the decision for the league, but I think he’s an MVP player. I think he’s the best big in the league right now, along(side) (Nikola) Jokic…Hopefully, he gets it,” Drummond said, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.
Drummond added that he believes Embiid’s focus is primarily on winning a title with the Sixers and not the award.
“I think his main focus is (to) win a championship right now. I think that’s where his mind is — if he gets it, he gets it — but I think he wants to win the championship,” Drummond said, per Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated.
Drummond served as Embiid’s backup on the Sixers during the 2021-22 season before being traded among others to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden at the trade deadline.
Andre Drummond Felt ‘Blindsided’ By Sixers Trade
In an interview with Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire, Drummond gave his honest feelings about being trade away by the Sixers last season.
“I definitely was blindsided by it. I didn’t think I would be involved in it, but things happen, and here we are,” Drummond said.
Drummond admitted that he had a lot of fun playing under Doc Rivers during his time with the Sixers.
“I had a lot of fun playing for Doc, somebody who I’ve known since a boy and have so much respect for him, so to have the chance to play for him was awesome for me,” Drummond said.
Drummond added that Rivers was like a father to him, since the two had known each other since Drummond was child.
“For me, it was a little more personal because I know him, and I’ve known him since I was a kid. When he coached me, it felt like a father figure speaking to you and when he spoke, his message always resonated, and it was always felt. Whenever he would say something to me, I would always catch myself just being like, ‘Alright, I hear you, man.’ Like when your dad says something annoying to you, and you’re like, ‘I get it. Get away from me.’ It was always a blast having those conversations and one-on-ones with him.”
Drummond has a player option after this season. Should he opt out, a reunion could be in the cards.
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Former Sixers Big Man Andre Drummond Opens Up About Ongoing Struggle