Inside The Spurs

Spurs and Mental Health: Keldon Johnson Shares Uplifting Message About Motivation

During a meet-and-greet period of the Spurs' annual Summer Camps, Keldon Johnson took time to speak with a young fan about staying motivated on hard days.

Matt Guzman

Spurs and Mental Health: Keldon Johnson Shares Uplifting Message About Motivation
Spurs and Mental Health: Keldon Johnson Shares Uplifting Message About Motivation /
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Among the biggest aspects of professional sports that tends to be forgotten is the fact that athletes are more than just athletes.

The idea that someone who's being paid millions to play a sport or perform in front of a crowd can struggle with their own mental health is one that isn't often considered. It's been seen before in Olympic sports of all kinds, but also in the NBA. 

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons is a prime example of mental health affecting on-court performance. He's faced adversity through injuries, but arguably more so online, as fans of all kinds have been less-than-understanding of his situation stemming all the way back to his time in Philadelphia. 

The San Antonio Spurs aren't strangers to mental health crises either. Last season, second-year shooting guard Joshua Primo found himself at the center of controversy stemming from indecent exposure allegations that eventually led to his dismissal from the team. A day before the news broke however, Primo was reportedly seeking mental health help due to "previous trauma" he had endured. 

Mental health doesn't cease to exist once you become a millionaire. It doesn't go away when you achieve celebrity status, nor does it when you become a successful athlete. 

Some of the Spurs' players are well aware of that — Keldon Johnson being one of them — and took the time to share a wholesome message about motivation to kids attending the team's annual Summer Camp.

"My family keeps me motivated [on a daily basis]," Johnson said while signing a poster for a young fan. "My family 's sacrificed a lot for me to be in the position I'm in, so every day when I wake up, I do it for them. [Especially] on days when I don't feel motivated."

Johnson's fan listened to his answer and gave an approving nod before asking for a high five, and moving to the side to make room for the next attendee in line. It may have been just a 10-second interaction, but it showed how much he cared. 

That's what the Spurs have been about since Day 1: Family. San Antonio is a city of its own — unique in many ways — but always has a familial feel to it. Perhaps that's why the Spurs want to stay. Maybe that's why they have no plans on leaving anytime soon.

Whatever the reason, San Antonio is now gearing up for another season, this time with Victor Wembanyama, who might have also felt the effects of such high pressure — even if he claims he hasn't. But should he feel "unmotivated" on any particular day, he can always think of his family — both by blood and in the Spurs locker room. 

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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