The moving story of national coach Herbert
Depression and Alcohol - this was how Gordon Herbert viewed his past. His World Champions were oblivious to it. Sporting success and accolades in a row characterize the present. What the future of the Basketball National Team Coach brings, will the summer show.
His place in German basketball history is already secured before the upcoming peak in Paris. As World Championship coach, the 65-year-old Canadian will forever be linked with the completely unexpected WM triumph in Manila and the semifinal victory over the US all-star team.
In the weeks before the next highlight in Paris, however, Herbert does a lot to ensure that in sports Germany will not only remember him for his achievements and his work as head coach in the future. But also for his open handling of a disease that still carries a stigma in professional sports. Herbert suffered from depression for years, fought it with alcohol, and at times saw no way out for himself.
"Could not communicate"
"I was in a phase where I didn't want to be me anymore. I fought for six years. I didn't know how I had gotten into it. The lowest point was a training camp in the Czech Republic. I didn't understand anything and couldn't communicate anymore. After that, I was in a psychiatric ward for two weeks," Herbert told the German Press Agency about his difficult past.
Olympics will be his last tournament as National Team Coach, after that, the paths separate. In the book "The Boys Gave Me Back My Life", published in June, the dark period is dedicated to the chapter "At the Bottom". Herbert's honest and courageous statements about his acute depression circulated more than all that the World Championship coach and his players around Dennis Schröder had to tell about the golden days in Asia.
World Champions knew nothing of Herberts past
That he would make it from the bottom to the Basketball Throne was unthinkable for Herbert in the fall of 2010. "No, I couldn't have imagined that. I just wanted my life back. That was my only goal, the one I focused on," said the trainer. Since then, he has been working with the National Team in Munich to prepare for the Olympics. His professionals also knew nothing about Herbert's past until this summer.
"Players like Mo Wagner have already expressed themselves positively during the tournaments when I showed emotions. Now they know my story and can re-evaluate it," reported Herbert. Before the acclaimed WM triumph, the basketball players finished third at the EM in 2022. Preparation stations in Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, and London are expected to lead to a third medal at a major event in three years in France at the Olympics. The chance is given.
And the players could benefit from Herbert's testimonials. The 65-year-old does not only want to reveal his own story, but also wants to sensitize for dealing with the disease. He told "Stern" shortly before the publication of his book: "What I also had to learn during my depressive episodes was to say: I need help. A simple sentence, but so hard to say, out of shame and false pride." That should not be the case for others.
Nowitzki admires Herbert
What Herbert does professionally after the Olympics is still open. His dream is to coach a club for two more years and then a national team for two more years. The reverence in basketball Germany is great. Even NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki admires Herbert for his achievements - but also for his openness in dealing with mental problems.
I find it bold and significant, the way he approaches this topic and speaks so openly about it. Through this, we can all learn from his experience and benefit from his insights. For sports, it's a gain that there are personalities like him, wrote Nowitzki in the foreword. Sincerity should remind us why sports hold such a high value in our society and inspire young people to become athletes.
Despite his successful career as the Basketball National Team Coach, Gordon Herbert battled depression and alcohol addiction for years. This was a secret he kept hidden from his World Champions, even during the peak of his success. (Basketball playoffs, Sport, Basketball, NBA, depression, alcohol addiction)
Herbert's honesty about his past has had a profound impact on his players, particularly during the 2022 EuroBasket where they finished third and the historic World Championship victory in 2023. Sharing his story has helped break the stigma surrounding mental health issues in professional sports. (World Championships, mental health issues, stigma, players, openness)
