Jaden Ivey isn’t the first player to go through an NBA existential crisis. But many are quick to judge his actions, without understanding his story. Ivey’s been open about his troubled past and addictions. That being said, Kendrick Perkins sees hope. He relates Ivey’s situation to his own story.

“I do think having some type of mentor would help him. And I’m sharing that because I was the one that had to go get help, right? I was in Kansas for two months because I had anger problems, or they thought I had anger problems, and I was on the verge of my contract being voided, and I had to go to Kansas for two months and go to anger management, and it actually helped me a lot,” Perk said on Run It Back.

At that time, the Thunder’s Sam Presti stepped up for Kendrick Perkins. The celebrated GM advised the former Celtics center to attend anger management classes. Once the cycle was over, Perk admits he cried in front of Presti. However, Perkins couldn’t fix all of his vices. He still regrets having one prominent addiction during his playing career.

“Hell, I was in a f——g drug program the whole time I was playing in the NBA because I couldn’t put the w–d down. That’s why you can’t get me to smoke w–d right now… I also have a lot of f—–g regrets as a player throughout the course of my 14-year career because I felt like I prioritized, in the off-season, w–d than actually working on my actual game. While I was smoking 500 blunts a week. I should have been putting up 500 shots a f—–g week,” Perk added.

Perkins didn’t do anything extreme. The former Thunder star spoke to doctors and accepted his situation. Now you see a different Kendrick Perkins on the screen. He’s much calmer and has a better grip on his emotions. He has also overcome the addictions that were holding him back. Perkins managed to get help when he needed it most.

That willingness to be vulnerable and ask for help is what allowed Kendrick Perkins to carve out a long career in the league. He isn’t against Jaden Ivey devoting himself to his faith. However, the ESPN analyst does want to see the former Bulls guard make an effort to help himself.

Kendrick Perkins wants Jaden Ivey to follow his path

Perkins isn’t alone in feeling this way, either. The NBA has seen this story play out before. Kevin Love, one of the most vocal advocates for mental health in professional sports, famously opened up about experiencing a panic attack mid-game during the 2017-18 season.

Rather than brush it aside, Love chose to speak publicly about his struggles, and in doing so, helped shift the conversation around mental health in the league. His message was straightforward: asking for help isn’t a weakness, it’s the smartest move you can make. That same energy is what Perkins is channeling when he talks about Ivey.

And when it comes to Ivey specifically, Perkins isn’t coming from a place of judgment — he’s coming from experience.

“I just want people to know that it’s okay to go seek help and sit down, even if it’s a conversation two or three times out the week… All we saying is if you’re going through a little adversity and your mental is not there and the s–t is getting overbearing and you got a lot of weight on your shoulders, the only way to get that off of you is to go and seek help. Go sit down and talk with somebody,” said Kendrick Perkins.

It’s worth remembering that Perkins didn’t imply Jaden Ivey needs fixing. One thing he understands — the former Pistons guard holds a lot of trauma from his past, which Ivey has been open about. Perkins knows that’s the first step. However, he wants to see the talented guard keep playing in the NBA, and hence offered him some advice.

In this scenario, Jaden Ivey recently made a heartbreaking admission. During one of his long Instagram videos, the 24-year-old said his family isn’t speaking to him. The support from those close to him would ideally have helped. However, Ivey still has options. Several of his past coaches have inquired about him and wished him well.

Within the NBA fraternity, he has people who care about him. Perkins, relating it to his personal difficulties, is one of them. His message is simple. The adversity might seem harmless in the moment. But just one conversation at a time could shed new light on the situation and tremendously help Jaden Ivey.

It’s not a sign of weakness, but rather a concrete step towards bettering oneself.