Professional athletes are often encouraged to prioritize their mental health, but opening up only works when there's confidence that private conversations will stay private. Blake Griffin says one experience during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers shattered that belief. While looking back on his NBA career, the former All-Star recalled an encounter with a team-appointed sports psychologist that convinced him not to seek that kind of support again.
Speaking with the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, Griffin said every Clippers player was required to meet with the team's sports psychologist. After what he believed was a confidential conversation, he said he stepped away to shower and then noticed a voicemail on his phone. According to Griffin, the psychologist had accidentally called him instead of one of the Clippers' coaches and left a message discussing details from their private conversation.
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Griffin Recalls His Shock
"It was the psychologist and he said, 'Hey, coach, just left Blake's house, great talk, and we discussed some interesting things,'" Griffin recalled. "I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm never meeting another sports psychologist again.'"
Although Griffin didn't say exactly when the incident occurred, it happened during his tenure with the Clippers, when he helped usher in the franchise's successful "Lob City" era alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. His story has since sparked discussion about confidentiality in sports psychology and why athletes may hesitate to seek mental health support if they fear those conversations won't remain private.
