NBA champ Burrell discusses mental health with students

When Scott Burrell was traded from the Golden State Warriors to the Chicago Bulls in September 1997, he joined a team that had won back-to-back NBA championships and was under scrutiny to win a third.

“I was the only new guy, really, on the team,” the former NBA forward explained to an auditorium of Red Hook High School students Tuesday. “I had never been to an NBA Finals, where every pass, every shot, the whole world’s watching you. It’s a different level of pressure.

“As long as you’re prepared,” he said of handling the pressure, “that’s all you can do to do your best.”

Burrell, a former standout for the UConn men’s basketball team and eight-year NBA veteran who now coaches the Southern Connecticut State men’s basketball team, visited Red Hook High School Tuesday to discuss mental health, healthy habits and tips for being successful.

Head to the district's Facebook page to see a video of the event.

The visit came courtesy of Access: Supports for Living, the Hudson Valley-based organization devoted to providing a range of social support services. That includes a program that Principal Dr. Kyle Roddey helped pioneer while working at Fallsburg Junior Senior High School, in which celebrity guests discuss mental health with students. Previously, former New York Yankee and current broadcaster John Flaherty visited Red Hook two years ago.

Wellness has been a focus for the school district, with innovative measures this year that include mindfulness classes at the high and middle schools, and an inaugural Wellness Fair this past fall. Down the road from the high school Tuesday, Mill Road Elementary used a half-day to create a full slate of outdoor wellness activities for the students.

Burrell participated in two sessions for the Red Hook students in the Performing Arts Center, speaking to half the student body in each while the other half participated in the career fair in the gymnasium. Roddey and Burrell sat together on stage and the principal guided the conversation with a series of questions.

Though Burrell enjoyed a varied career in which he played for four franchises and averaged more than 11 points per game in two of his eight seasons, his one year playing alongside Michael Jordan in which they won the 1998 NBA Championship is perhaps how he is most broadly remembered. The former Bull said the Chicago franchise was the first he encountered that had an eye toward players’ mental health.

“I think (coach) Phil Jackson knew how important mental health was. Every two weeks he would come in, bring a psychologist in, meditate,” he said. “It helped people.”

Burrell spoke of the importance of speaking, communication and seeking help from friends when pressures build.

As a coach, Burrell shared with the students he insists his players put their phones away while engaging in team activities and discussed how social media and smartphones have made life more stressful for younger generations.

“I just want them to have a safe space,” he said. “We can just sit down and chat. And I love that. When you do that your players become vulnerable and you open up, as well. … I’m there for them and whatever their needs are.”

He noted also, “You’re not the best you can be if your mind if pulled in so many different directions.”

Before, after and in-between the sessions, Burrell was generous with his time. He spoke with Flex students and the Raiders basketball teams, and posed for selfies with students and some staff members when lines to meet him formed unprompted.

Not only was Burrell a first-round draft pick in the NBA, he was a first-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft, a combined distinction he solely held until recently. Roddey asked about his philosophy for pursuing success.

“Don’t be afraid of failure,” Burrell said. “If you have a goal, strive for your goal. If you don’t make it, you’re not a failure. If you don’t try and give it your best, you’re going to have regrets.”