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Former NBA player Tyrell Terry retires from basketball at 22, revealing he suffered from anxiety and experienced the “darkest moments of his life” while playing professionally.
Tyrell Terry, a former second-round pick in the NBA draft, has announced his retirement from the NBA at just 22 years old 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 ultimately cut this offseason. The juice
Despite not playing in the NBA for almost a full year, Terry announced his retirement on Instagram on Thursday.
“This message is very difficult to share and emotional to write,” Terry began in a lengthy Instagram post.
Tyrell Terry took to Instagram Thursday afternoon to announce his retirement from the NBA.
‘Today I decided to leave the game that has formed so much of my identity. Something that has guided my path since I took my first steps. While I’ve made amazing accomplishments, made unforgettable memories and made lifelong friends… I’ve also experienced the darkest moments of my life.
‘To the point where instead of building me up, it started to tear me down. Where I began to despise myself and question the value of myself, far more than those around me could ever see or know.
‘Intrusive thoughts, waking up nauseated and finding myself struggling to breathe normally due to the rock sitting on my chest that seemed to weigh more than I could carry.
The 22-year-old’s participation in his last NBA game 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 cannot continue this fight any longer because of something I have fallen in love with.”
‘To most, I will always be known as a flop, flop or waste of talent. While that may be true when it comes to basketball, it’s the biggest failures in life that lead to the biggest success.
There is more to me in this vast world and I am very excited to be able to explore that. And for the first time, being able to find my identity beyond being a basketball player.
Terry played for Memphis’s G-League team, the Hustle, during his Tennessee career.
‘I am forever grateful to those who have believed in me and I apologize to those I have let down. But now I’m headed down a different path, one that will hopefully lead me to happiness and to being able to love myself again. Sincerely, Ty
Terry’s last game in the league came on December 31, 2021 during a six-second stretch in the Grizzlies’ 118-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Throughout his 31-game NBA career, he averaged 14.6 points and shot more than 40% from three-point range. He was selected by Dallas after a single season at the Pac 12 school, Stanford earning an honorable mention All-Pac 12.