Tyrell Terry has fallen out of love with basketball.
The NBA free-agent guard announced his retirement from the sport on his Instagram page Dec. 15.
“This message is a very difficult one to share and an emotional one to write,” Tyrell, 22, wrote. “Today I decided to let go of the game that has formed a large part of my identity. Something that has guided my path since I took my first steps.”
While the former Dallas Mavericks player said he achieved amazing accomplishments on the court, he also experienced “the darkest times of my life.”
“Instead of building me up, it began to destroy me,” he said. “Where I began to despise and question the value of myself, much more than those surrounding me could ever see or know. Intrusive thoughts, waking up nauseous, and finding myself struggling to take normal breaths because of the rock that would sit on my chest that seemed to weigh more than I could carry. This is just a brief description of the anxiety this sport has caused me.”
