Kings' DeMar DeRozan, Suni Lee win 2025 Health Advocacy Awards

“When I opened up about my mental health, it wasn’t planned,” DeRozan said.

“It was a personal outlet, but it quickly became much bigger than me.”

His honesty resonated, leading to significant changes in the NBA’s approach to player wellness.

By 2019, the league mandated each team employ a licensed mental health professional and establish actionable plans for mental health crises.

As someone who’s worked in the mental health field in the past, it’s really cool to see DeMar being an advocate in the mental health and wellness space.