Skin’s Spin: DeRozan’s candor can offer all of us perspective

For those who do not follow the NBA, San Antonio Spurs forward and USC basketball alumnus DeMar DeRozan is one of the best players in the league. He has received All-Star distinction in four of his 11 seasons thus far and is currently under contract with the Spurs for a hefty $27.7 million per season — one of the league’s largest annual salaries.

With all of his accolades, wealth and fame, it is not unusual to suspect that he must be one of the happiest men in the world. As arguably the most established Trojan in the NBA today, what could he have to complain or worry about?

As it turns out, it’s much more complicated than that. DeRozan’s openness about his struggles with mental health and depression can offer some perspective, especially considering the kinds of challenges the USC community has faced in recent months.

It turns out that the superficial possessions that some tend to associate with “success” do not always result in a sense of fulfillment. In fact, they may even lead to the opposite if people make their happiness contingent upon them, acquire them and then discover their superficial nature. This is made worse if, after making this discovery, people force themselves to convey to others a false sense of fulfillment in the hopes of finding it, rather than living in accordance with how they actually feel.

To DeRozan, the only positive solution to this crisis was to confront it critically, emerge with a positive outlook and share that message with others in the hopes that they win the battle too.

DeRozan spoke on this phenomenon in an interview with ESPN in March 2018.

“I know a lot of people are ashamed to talk about [their struggles with mental health],” DeRozan said. “Even myself for a long time … But you get to a certain age where you feel like it’s all about helping others. It’s not about you … Other people are going through stuff as well … and I just got to that point where it was finally time for me to say something.”

The beauty of hearing a statement like this from someone like DeRozan is that his words carry tremendous weight. He is a supremely talented and well-respected athlete who thousands — if not millions — of people see as a role model. In a world that can sometimes appear to be prone to juvenile, ego-driven impulsiveness, it is encouraging to see him use his influence in this way.

What’s especially inspiring is the obvious truth in his words: As he notes, this kind of truth is not always easy to come out and say. It takes courage to be open about emotional and mental health, knowing full well that some may judge or resent you for it.

In DeRozan’s case, however, his courage appears to be fueled by a sense of obligation to help others through the same sort of mental obstacles that he faced and eventually overcame. The effect of his words is nothing but good and he deserves to be praised for the courage he displayed.

The purpose of this week’s column is to give DeRozan the credit he deserves for his willingness to be open about the challenges he has faced in the past and to convey his message to the USC community at large. After the tragic events which have taken place within our community recently, DeRozan can hopefully serve as a North Star to people who may be experiencing some of the same struggles that he once did.

Joe Skinner is a sophomore writing about USC alumni in sports. His column, “Skin’s Spin,” runs every other Tuesday.