Michael Beasley advocates for mental health, commends two All-Stars for speaking up

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Michael Beasley was a McDonald’s All-American, a highly touted college recruit and the No. 2 pick of the 2008 NBA Draft. 

Now, four years removed from his last game in the league, Beasley has become an advocate for mental health in hopes of helping athletes who come after him.

Michael Beasley, #8 of the New York Knicks, goes to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 23, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

"Your mental health journey doesn’t have to start when something goes wrong or when something isn’t right," Beasley told Fox News Digital. "Mental health doesn’t have to be a negative thing. You can literally start working on your mind now." 

"I really do want to share my story, so maybe the next player doesn’t have to go through it so late," he added. "If I could have realized this from day one, maybe a lot could have been different. I just want to be vulnerable for the next guy." 

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Beasley, who played one year at Kansas State before turning pro, discussed the need for athletes to work on their mental health with the same level of energy they put into honing their physical skills. 

"As a basketball player, we know [how] to get stronger, to get quicker. We lift weights, we take the same jump shot a thousand, a million times. We do the same crossover. But there wasn’t anything in place for my mind, or for our mind," Beasley told Fox News Digital when asked if there was anything in place at Kansas State to help with mental wellness. "And that’s just as important as your jump