Hall of Famer Jerry West discloses childhood depression: NBA Update
The 73 years old Hall of Famer, Jerry West recently surprised many when he told during a TV show that he had fought with depression since his childhood. West revealed that his father used to beat him and it had really affected
his self-respect and kept him under snow in spite of a thriving career in the American league.
Jerry is considered as one of the most influential personalities in National Basketball Association and was given the nickname of ‘Mr. Clutch’ because of his skill to deliver goods during the clutch situations in the game. However,
coming with such a pitiful childhood, was a shocker for most of the basketball followers, who watch his recent interview.
Jerry grew up in West Virginia, where he never saw love and his childhood was crammed with annoyance, because of his cruel father. West’s father left him in lot of pain and as if he holds no value in his father’s life.
West t told in recent interview on Tuesday that, "I would go to bed feeling like I didn't even want to live. I've been so low sometimes and when everyone else would be so high because I didn't like myself."
West wrote a book on his life that includes the dark part of his childhood too. It was because of this very reason, his wife Karen, four sons and his four brothers and sisters were not in favour of him
to write this book. In spite of that West wrote it and on Wednesday it’s went to stores for sale. The name of West’s book is West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life.
West also told that he never knew what thing makes his father so mad. Illustrating his father’s beating with the belt, Jerry said, "It was brutal." However, finally one day when his father end up hitting
his sister that set the West on fire and he got the courage to stood up against his father.
When West was 12 years old, he used to keep a gun under his bed with which he used to threatened his father in case he tries to abuse him. Despite all of that, when West’s father died, he was present at
the funeral. West started crying during the interview, when he wondered whether his father would be proud of his accomplishments or not.
However, as a player, West never allowed his depression to conquest him, during his entire professional career and the reason behind it was fear of failure. However, at the end of every season, West used
to reside with the failures that came during that period that also includes Los Angeles Lakers six losses to the Boston Celtics in NBA Finals.
His wife Karen West told that, "He wouldn't speak for days at a time … It worried me, Jerry doesn't say 'I love you.'… Maybe once a year."
Therapy didn’t work for West, but when he joined the Lakers as general manger 10 years ago, his depression started going away and now he is an advisor to the Golden State Warriors and considers himself
a lucky person.
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