Blake Griffin: "Never again" after the psychologist-informant
Blake Griffin reveals how mandatory psychological support became a tool for leaking to the Clippers' coach.
Blake Griffin reveals how mandatory psychological support became a tool for leaking to the Clippers' coach.
Blake Griffin publicly shared his experience from a psychological session that resulted in a scandalous breach of confidentiality. The incident occurred in 2012, when the Los Angeles Clippers imposed mandatory visits to psychologists for players. Griffin invited the psychologist to his home in Manhattan Beach, expecting privacy.
Instead, he discovered that the psychologist had conveyed personal details from their discussions to the then-coach, Doc Rivers. The revelation came to light years later, when Griffin spoke openly about how his trust was shattered. "They told me they were there to help, but in the end, they looked at me like a tool," he stated characteristically.
His reaction was clear: "Never again. " The experience led him to reject any further psychological support through the team, leaving a gap in the support system that the NBA promotes today. In 2012, the NBA's culture regarding mental health was in a transitional, often problematic phase.
Teams treated psychological support as a performance optimisation tool rather than a therapeutic need. The mandatory nature of the visits by the Clippers reveals a perception where the franchise believes it has a right of access to the player's mind, ignoring the principle of autonomy. This approach turns the doctor or psychologist from an ally of the athlete into a follower of the administration, eroding the foundation of medical ethics.
The breach of confidentiality is not just an isolated incident, but a systemic flaw that feeds the code of silence in locker rooms. When the flow of information turns towards the coach instead of remaining closed in the therapy room, the athlete learns to protect themselves. Griffin's stance, although extreme, is a logical consequence of an environment where vulnerability is indirectly punished.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale for today's NBA: without full independence of medical and psychological staff from the team hierarchy, mental health initiatives will remain in theory. The incident also revealed that the administration used the psychologist as a source of information, not as a therapist. According to testimonies from that time, the team insisted on the visits despite the objections of many players, creating a climate of obligation rather than cooperation.
For Griffin, the experience became a symbol of the danger when mental health becomes a tool of control. The case comes to be added to discussions about the effectiveness of mandatory mental health services in the NBA, especially as the league tries to promote awareness around athletes' mental health. The conflict of interest here is naked and disgusting.
When the psychologist is paid by the franchise, their loyalty splits: the patient becomes a product and the employer becomes the client. In the case of the Clippers, the structure allowed Doc Rivers to have access to data that should have been sacred, turning therapy into a loyalty check. Griffin did not simply meet a bad therapist, but a corrupted system where confidentiality is sacrificed on the altar of victory and roster management.
The legacy of this fiasco still weighs on the NBA's efforts to appear progressive. When veterans like Griffin openly condemn the process, the message to rookies is clear: vulnerability is a trap. It is impossible to convince a new player that the team cares about their mental health when history proves that the team can use their own insecurities as a weapon.
Trust is built with effort, but lost in an afternoon in Manhattan Beach. Read at Eurohoops
Griffin's revelation shows how mandatory mental health services can turn into a control mechanism, undermining player trust. When privacy is violated, athletes lose the motivation to seek help, making such policies counterproductive. The incident highlights the need for voluntary systems with strict confidentiality guarantees; otherwise, mental health remains a victim of administrative expediency.
Eurohoopseurohoops.netBy Berkay Terzi2 Jul, 12:23en-US
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