Former NBA player Tyrell Terry retired from basketball aged just 22 revealing he suffered from anxiety and experienced the ‘darkest times of his life’ while playing professionally
Former NBA second-round draft choice Tyrell Terry announced his retirement from the league at the age of 22 due to mental health issues.
Terry was taken 31st overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks and had a brief stint in Memphis before being assigned to their G-League affiliate and later cut this offseason.
Despite not playing in the NBA for nearly a full year, Terry announced his retirement on Instagram Thursday.
‘This message was very difficult to share and an emotional one to write,’ Terry began in a lengthy Instagram post.
Tyrell Terry took to Instagram on Thursday afternoon to announce his retirement from the NBA
The 2020 No. 31 draft pick shared an emotional statement, citing anxiety for his retirement
‘Today I have decided to let go of the game that has become such a big part of my identity. Something that has guided my path since I took my first steps. Although I have achieved amazing achievements, created unforgettable memories, and made lifelong friends…I have also experienced the darkest times of my life.
‘To the point where instead of strengthening me, it started to tear me down. Where I began to despise and question my own worth, beyond what those around me could see or know.
‘Intrusive thoughts, waking up feeling nauseous, and having trouble breathing normally because of the rock sitting on my chest that seemed heavier than I could handle.
The 22-year-old in action for the Grizzlies against the San Antonio Spurs in December 2021
‘This is just a brief description of the anxiety this sport has caused me, and while I am grateful for every door it has opened for me, I can no longer continue this fight for something I have lost. love
‘For most, I will forever be known as a bust, a failure, or a waste of talent. While those may be true when it comes to basketball, it’s life’s biggest failures that lead to its biggest successes.
‘There is so much more to me in this wide world and I am so excited to explore it. And for the first time, I could find my identity outside of being a basketball player.
Terry played for the Memphis G-League team, the Hustle, during his career in Tennessee
‘I am eternally grateful to those who believed in me and apologize to those I failed. But now I’m walking a different path, which hopefully will lead to happiness and love myself again. Yours truly, Ty.’
Terry’s final game in the league came on December 31, 2021 in a six-second period in the Grizzlies’ 118-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Throughout his 31-game NBA career, he averaged 14.6 points and shot over 40 percent from the three-point arc. He was drafted by Dallas after one season at the Pac 12 school, Stanford earning All-Pac 12 honorable mention.
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