saged him on social media, “because it helps me, and helps other people too.” “I didn’t know it was going to blow up like that,” he says. “But I love helping people, and that’s what I was hoping. Obviously I thought I was going to be playing basketball, and I would rather not have anxiety and stuff like that, but since I did, I wanted to do something about it and help other people who are dealing with it.”
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At an event at Logan High School, titled “The Toughest Call of My Life,” Moore shared his story of dealing with anxiety and depression. Photo by Jeff Hunter.
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As he recounted in The Players’ Tribune, Jalen and Grayson went upstairs the following morning. Jalen’s revelation began at 7 a.m. on a Sunday, and the impromptu family conference didn’t come to an end until after 5 p.m. “I don’t really cry, but I was crying, trying to explain to them what was going on and that I really needed some help,” Jalen says. “I didn’t want to disappoint my family and my friends because that was what I had been working for my whole life.” Jimmy ended up calling Jalen’s agent and after consulting with the NBA Players Association, the Milwaukee Bucks officially released Jalen from his contract on Sept. 10. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Jalen says. “And I’ve played in state championship games. I played in big college games. I played at Duke. But nothing ever compared to telling my family what was going on with me as far as anxiety and depression. 20 UTAHSTATE I FALL 2018
“But I wanted to be able to be happy, and just feel like myself again. And by doing that, it was like a big weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.” Although he stayed out of the public eye as much as he could early on, regular visits to a therapist helped Moore feel more comfortable as the months passed. By the time The Players’ Tribune reached out to him, Jalen was ready to share his story. Once released, the response was instantaneous and massive. Jalen received feedback from people from around the world. He was contacted by NBA All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan, who had recently opened up about his battle with depression, as well as a professional tennis player. “At least 95 percent of the feedback I’ve received has been positive,” Jalen says. “People will tell me how my story affected them and helped them, and then will share their stories with me.” Jalen says he has taken the time to message back everyone who has mes-
Basketball seems destined to still be a part of Jalen Moore’s life. Last winter, Jalen, Grayson, and Jimmy formed Next Level Basketball, a small company that puts on basketball clinics for young athletes. Although Jalen is still working out and playing in pickup games, most of his time on the court is spent teaching kids. But in early May, Jalen stepped out onto the stage at the Logan High School Auditorium in front of about 500 people and told his story at an event sponsored by Logan Regional Hospital. It was a big step forward, but one he says he felt very little apprehension about. Jalen was joined by Jimmy, who retired in June after more than 30 years at USU, and his father told his parents’ side of the story. Both Moores anticipate doing similar events in the future, “Because I think it’s good for Jalen that he talks about it,” Jimmy says. As for his condition these days, Jalen says he’s “starting to figure out how to cope with it,” and usually only schedules therapy sessions ahead of something he thinks will cause him anxiety. Jalen is still in regular contact with his agent, and he has had 10 NBA teams check in with him about his potential availability. “Right now, I’m still working on myself,” Jalen says when asked about his future. “And with basketball, you’ve obviously got to be physically and mentally ready to play. Obviously, my goal is to play again, but I have to just take it one day at a time. “I can’t give a direct answer about what is going to happen because I don’t actually know. But what I can say is that I haven’t thrown playing professional basketball out of the picture, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”