Paul George opened up about his mental health struggles in the NBA bubble

Paul George has spent the last week being the biggest punchline in the NBA. The Los Angeles Clippers forward was struggling immensely through the first four games of his team’s series with the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first player since 1960 to shoot under 25 percent from the field in three straight playoff games.

The jokes started to fly at George’s expense. The internet didn’t forget that he nicknamed himself “Playoff P” a few years back. The criticism was clearly getting to George. He posted corny memes to his Instagram account and disabled the comments. He said his knack wasn’t to score the ball. While the criticism over his play felt partially deserved as the series became tied at 2-2 on Luka Doncic’s immaculate buzzer-beater, some of it was starting to get ugly and personal.

The Clippers needed George to be the best version of himself in Game 5 on Tuesday night, and George delivered. He finished the night with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field as Los Angeles skated to an impressive 154-111 victory. This was the player the Clippers were waiting for.

After the game, George opened up on his struggles and how life in the bubble was impacting him. “The bubble got the best of me,” George said. “I was in a dark place.”

George continued to elaborate on how he was feeling post-game, talking about how the constant feedback loop was affecting his mental health while he couldn’t escape to the outside world in the bubble.

“I under estimated mental health, honestly. I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Just being locked in here .... I checked out.”

Good on George for being honest and vulnerable enough to admit all of this. It’s so powerful to hear coming from someone of his stature. It wasn’t long ago that professional athletes would never think about discussing mental health in the public, but players like DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love helped open the door for honest introspection. Maybe George’s comments will help the next pro athlete feeling the same way.

Yes, George is highly paid and highly talented, but it still must be so hard to spend every day inside the bubble. Being kept away from your friends and family, living every day in a hotel room, not having anyone or anywhere you can escape to for months ... it all must be so difficult.

There is a ton of pressure on George to produce if the Clippers want to reach their championship aspirations. He’s considered one of the better players in the NBA for a reason, and he showed in Game 5 that he’s capable of rising to the occasion. Even still, the way he was feeling is totally normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Bad days happen and life goes on. A lot of people are struggling right now given the state of the world. The most important thing is prioritize your own well-being.

Paul George and other athletes living their life in a bubble need to take care of themselves first and foremost. It’s wonderful to hear him keep things in perspective.