Former Rockets player admits to being anxious and uses music to cover up overthinking

According to Chaitanya Dadwar, an analyst at U.S. Sports F/W, NBA players are often seen with luxurious supercars, loud music and portraying confident characters to outsiders. But Houston Rockets shooting guard Mobley recently sat down with his former teammate Yao Ming and provided insights on why NBA players take such a role.

During the Yao Ming Foundation's trip to China, the former teammates discussed First Impression, Ming's cultural explosion, and their careers after retirement. "We met together in the garage, [I remember] a very luxurious car, Mercedes, if I remember correctly. Is that Maybach? Yes. [You] jumped out and accompanied by very loud music, and that's how you got in. Well, it's not only my first impression of you, but also my first impression of the NBA players," Ming said, laying the foundation for their first meeting.

"It's like a mask, right? Noisy concerts are distracting, because I think too much about things, and I feel anxious and scared. So that I won't be scared. Mobailey reveals. To be honest, that noisy music gives me the impression of being a very confident person, [with music] showing people who you are. From our culture, it's like, we're not so outgoing, we're not so open until we know each other enough. Ming provides his point of view.

, Mobailey, on the other hand, sees Ming's quiet character as a virtue, remembering how it embodies patience and perseverance. "When I first met him (Ming), I always say that, 'He's very united and stoic. You don't have to just talk. Some people, when we were young, just say... For me, I see patience and perseverance, and that's what I see," Mobry recalls.

Mental health is not a widely or publicly talked about, even for the superstar athletes in the NBA. They are given a lot of luxury and the resources they need to live a fulfilling life, but with it there is a huge performance pressure that doesn't help their personal mental health. The lack of awareness of this problem has led players to deal with it with it on their own, such as drowning in loud music, or projecting images that are almost never brought into their homes.

Today, the NBA has launched several initiatives not only to help players, but also coaches, referees, team staff, and even front desk members. Their 2018 initiative was called NBA Mental Health, dedicated to providing a network of mental health performance consultants and psychiatrists. When they launched NBA Total Health, they went a step further, it was not just a mental health issue, but also focused on its overall impact on players and NBA staff.

From 2019, every NBA team must be equipped with at least one licensed mental health professional. In addition, the NBA has begun working with other mental health organizations and endorses Mental Health Awareness Month, where they spread important information about the issue. Slowly, the league and players understand the importance of keeping their mind healthy while maintaining their original physical condition amid the harsh tests of their NBA career.