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Jay Williams Addresses Charles Barkley’s Ignorance About Mental Illness
Major kudos ESPN’s morning show “Get Up,” as well as former NBA player & ESPN analyst Jay Williams for clapping back at Charles Barkley over recent comments criticizing Adam Silver’s statements on anxiety and depression among NBA players, citing how much money NBA players are worth and how they have no reason to be sad or complain….
During today’s episode, Williams fired back at Barkley, explaining why his comments were upsetting, and how they only create more challenges for people struggling with anxiety and depression to open up about their issues.
“You may have made money and been a superstar, but you don’t walk in their shoes of those individuals. So show empathy towards that and let’s help people saying that, ‘I have issues,’ instead of attacking them. I get pissed off about that.”
Williams is right to get upset. Money can’t buy happiness and Barkley is ignorant AF for calling Silver’s comments dumb and saying NBA players don’t have problems. These players are in high stress jobs, many of them also forced to contend with “the black tax” and who knows what other factors and Barkley has no right to make light of mental illness.