‘I had to seek therapy’: what happens when an NBA career ends before its time?

K enneth Faried is around 7,200 feet above sea level. At times, though, the former Team USA starter and Denver Nugget, he has felt much lower. His G League season with the Mexico City Capitanes concluded in late March, the team narrowly missing the playoffs. But Faried played well, averaging 11.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists on the year. Still, he remains far from his ultimate goal. Many NBA fans probably remember the “Manimal” and his ferocious blocks and dunks. From his rookie year in 2011, Faried defied expectations. At 6ft 8in, he rebounded in traffic like an 8-footer. But now, he’s working to get back to the league after the game changed under his feet. For a player known for his hustle, the question remains, can he chase down another chance? And can he do so ahead of 9 April, the last game of the NBA regular season and the final day to amend rosters? He’s trying. But the road can be unrelenting.

“For me, it was the depression,” Faried tells the Guardian, speaking about the ups and downs he’s gone through since leaving the NBA in 2019. “You go into depression. I went into depression. I had to seek therapy.”

A basketball scout would be hard-pressed to find someone who works harder than Faried. Still, the power-forward keeps the faith that he, like everything else, is part of a grand plan. “I started realizing everything is written,” he says. “I can’t really dwell on what happened in the past.”

Faried was last seen in the NBA in 2019 with the Houston Rockets, where he suited up for 25 games, starting in 13. He averaged 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. Faried got less time during Houston’s postseason run, but rosters often tighten up in the playoffs.

“I was great in Houston when I got a chance,” says Faried.

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