Ex-Warriors, Kings participant Cauley-Stein displays on previous drug habit initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space
Former Warriors and Kings middle Willie Cauley-Stein has revealed the rationale behind his NBA “private go away” in 2021 and subsequent league exit in 2022.
Talking to The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker, the 31-year-old mirrored on his journey from a critical drug habit to discovering happiness throughout his highway to restoration.
And regardless of the battle, he’s fortunate to share his story.
“I may simply be useless,” Cauley-Stein informed Tucker.
Cauley-Stein admitted he started abusing substances in the summertime of 2019 after three of his mates had been shot – considered one of which was killed – in Sacramento.
On the time, he had simply signed a close to league-minimum take care of Golden State after not receiving a brand new deal from the Kings following a formidable finish to his rookie contract.
He resorted to what he thought had been bootleg Percocet drugs to manage.
“That type of began a spiral of psychological well being,” Cauley-Stein informed Tucker. “Attempting to take care of that and hoop on the identical time — for a brand new crew, on a nasty deal, after which my spouse received pregnant — it was simply too many bizarre issues and large adjustments, and I received on the ache drugs attempting to simply run away from actuality.”
Cauley-Stein’s situation worsened after studying about his grandmother’s bone most cancers analysis.
And on Dec. 1, 2021, lower than every week after his grandmother’s passing, the middle checked into rehab.
By then, Cauley-Stein was with the Dallas Mavericks, the place he appeared in a mere 18 video games, averaging profession lows in factors (1.9), rebounds (2.1) and minutes performed (9.8) whereas capturing a career-low 46% from the ground.
The No. 6 general choose of the 2015 NBA Draft was taking drugs throughout follow to keep away from a withdrawal. However little did he know that the drugs he was consuming had been laced with fentanyl, a substance 50 occasions stronger than heroin and linked to numerous overdose deaths within the nation.
“I didn’t know till I turned myself in,” Cauley-Stein informed Tucker. “I checked out my spouse and mentioned, ‘Oh, my God’ as a result of I hear tales on a regular basis about children going to a celebration, by no means taking a drug earlier than, deciding to pop a Percocet, and it finally ends up being fentanyl, and so they die.
“From one tablet. Dude, I used to be taking tons of of them, for months and years. It may’ve so simply been me.”
Cauley-Stein has turned the web page since and managed to play 13 video games with the Houston Rockets’ G League affiliate throughout the 2022-23 season.
Now, he hopes he could make an NBA return and keep sturdy and clear for his spouse and children.
“I needed to get proper for them,” Cauley-Stein informed Tucker. “It’s humorous, I’m solely 30, however my children don’t actually know me as this basketball star.
“What’s loopy, although, is I’m doing the perfect I’ve achieved in like 10 years. That is the perfect I’ve felt, most likely, since I left Kentucky. And there’s nonetheless numerous sport on this physique. I’m rested, I’m recent. I’m prepared.”
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