DeMar DeRozan has been the face of mental health awareness in the league for quite some time. His advocacy also played a crucial role in sparking debates about legislation allowing players to cite mental health as an injury. The Chicago Bulls forward is taking his commitment to destigmatizing mental health issues one step further with his latest venture.

The 34-year-old star will be teaming up with Podium Pictures & Goodwin Sports to release a digital series of short films, “Dinners with DeMar,” aimed at breaking through the stigma surrounding mental health. These episodes will feature fellow NBA players, entertainers, and celebrities engaging in “authentic, unrehearsed, unfiltered conversations about mental health” in an attempt to normalize talking about human vulnerabilities.

The first episode of the season drops on February 20th and will feature Draymond Green as a guest. Green, who is recently coming off a 12-game suspension, will be having a candid conversation about his struggles during the challenging period.

The next episode will feature Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, where he discusses “fatherhood, his transition to retirement, and how his family normalizes therapy and more” in DeRozan’s backyard.

Next up will be Damian Lillard, who will be talking about “the mental health stigma, being perceived as weak, the importance of family support, being a father, and more.” The episodes will be exclusively available on DeMar’s YouTube channel.

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Through the mini-series, DeMar aims to let anyone suffering know that they are not alone. “These candid and vulnerable conversations will allow the viewer to see that we are all human and many of us share the same struggles,” said DeRozan in a statement. According to him, NBA players have so much more to them than just basketball. Like any of us, they too have their own demons to deal with. “When it comes to mental health, NBA players aren’t so different from anyone else,” added DeMar.

What led to ‘Dinners with DeMar’?

DeMar came to the realization that he could make a difference in people’s lives in 2018. It was his late-night tweet that ushered in a change in how the NBA views the mental health of its athletes. On February 17, he tweeted, “This depression get the best of me.”

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His openness about his struggles sparked conversations about the same around the league. As a result, fellow players like Kevin Love, Paul George, Andre Drummond, and Ben Simmons came forward with their mental health experiences.

Therefore, he hopes that the stories from the podcast will make people feel less alone and give them hope to keep going. “We’re all going through something. All of us. So think about how you can help the next person. No matter how you’re feeling, don’t give up. Don’t feel like it’s only you,” DeRozan told USA Today ahead of the premiere.

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