Why are so many pro athletes mentally fragile?

I blame AAU. Zion has been in the spotlight with everyone telling him he was the next Jordan since he was 14. His dbag step father has been treating him like an asset since he was a kid.

Same reason most child actors/singers flame out.

It's not healthy to be coddled, given everything at that young an age. They have no grasp on reality or the real world and no ability to handle adversity.

It's not a coincidence that some of the most talented are the most fragile and the ones that have to scrape by on guts and effort are ok.

But there are exceptions obviously.

Look at Nance. Probably grew up pretty wealthy and had a very famous father and he's grounded and normal.

Jax meanwhile is a basketcase.

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many haven’t had to face adversity or injury or a coach demanding more.

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This sounds ridiculous, you think a guy who's made it to the top 1% of athletes in the world has never faced adversity, injuries, and demanding coaches? Lmao wtf I'd wrong with this board.

They likely have always been, but now it is "the right thing" to come out and seek treatment etc. Whereas in the past they likely would have just pushed through and got through things.

We all go through shite in our lives and if we all just said "no not today"...or "I'll do it when I feel like myself again"....then imagine the world we would live in and if we would even have jobs if we told our bosses that.

I understand the points being made in this thread regarded Zion being coddled since childhood. But call me old school, when you are paid millions of dollars to play basketball, and are healthy and able, you should do the bare minimum and show up to your job. Healthy players sitting out is an affront to teammates and the people who spend their hard earned money to go to these games.

Been in this game over 40 years and seen it all at every level. The top 1% in the NBA are able to handle adversity. Go watch Tony Robichaux YouTube video on why 48% of baseball athletes aren’t from the US. It’s the same deal.

Remember Simone Biles losing it before the Olympics? These athletes nowadays are mental midgets.

It is definitely a sign of the times. In years past, the leaders led and were the voice of the weak. Now, true leaders don't lead. The weak are the voice. It is all a product of the way we fear verbal retribution for every aspect of our lives. It is accepted to have a participation trophy; to decide you don't want to do something, and there is always someone agreeing (usually a subordinate) that; yes, you should not have to do anything you are not feeling good about. We now fold under pressures that the past generations were not as willing to accept.

Oh, well.

Solve that with “no play, no pay” Regular salary only applies if you are on active roster to play. Down time reverts to league minimum. See how fast they recover.

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Is it because so much money is guaranteed that no one cares if they know they are getting paid regardless?

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“It’s hard to get out of bed to do road work at 5 am when you’ve been sleeping in silk pajamas.” Marvelous Marvin Hagler

That’s certainly part of it. Some NBA guys probably don’t even like basketball, they do it strictly for the money. Some guys just like to hoop. Some want to be good. Some want to be great. Very few HAVE to be great, are obsessed with it. It’s why a Lebron, Kobe, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Russell, etc…only come around every generation or so. There are probably guys with the drive like them that just lack the physical attributes to achieve that. But there are also a lot with similar attributes that didn’t—or don’t—have the drive. Especially in the era of guaranteed max contracts exceeding 100s of millions of dollars.

I think MJ would have had the same career if he’d have made a million dollars a game. That’s not what drove him (and he was probably making that much from Nike by the time he started winning anyway). But say what you will about Lebron—and I am no fan—but to play at the level he has, for as long as he has, with as much money as he has, and the 4 titles, says a lot about his drive, regardless of what you think his motivations are. Same with Kobe.

There’s a story about Kobe I tell my son. Not sure where I heard it or if it’s even true. But he was at the back end of his career, playing on Team USA (probably an Olympics, but not sure) with Lebron and Wade and a some other younger guys. They had won a game or a round or something and had the next day off and everybody went out to celebrate/party. Except Kobe. They all are coming in to the hotel hammered around 4 am. They pass Kobe in the lobby. He had his bag on his way to the gym to get up some shots and work out.

Some people want to be great. Some people HAVE to. Kobe HAD to. (And I was not a big Kobe fan while he was playing). And if you take the money carrot off the string after all these guys are multi millionaires many times over, the ones who still HAVE to be great are truly special.