The energy radiating from Madison Square Garden is no joke. If you live anywhere near New York City, you know it. The NBA finals have taken over your For You Page. Maybe you just found out that the point-guard everyone’s been raving about is actually from your hometown? But beyond the highlight reels and the overtly passionate fans, the starting five, Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, and Hart, give you a surprisingly perfect map of what it actually looks like to take care of yourself. Despite the never-ending stress that comes with basketball, these players can help us reflect on our own mental health, and what it takes to have a championship team, but also help us get on track with having grace towards ourselves and build a new mindset.
Jalen Brunson: Consistency, even when it’s small
This 6’2” point guard’s specialty isn’t his buzzer-beaters or his signature celebration. It’s consistency. Quarter after quarter, Brunson is able to do his job, and keep going even when it seems like the shots aren’t going down. He assists his teammates around him, doing small actions that lead to a major win. He doesn’t wait to have a superstar moment, he just plays.
This is also known as behavioral action, the understanding that motivation doesn’t always come first, but it’s the action. Healing doesn’t start with that feeling, it starts from showing up to the sessions, doing the small actions taking care of yourself even if your headspace isn’t in the right place. You do it, and then slowly, momentum builds. Some of the most important progress in one’s mental health journey is not in the big moment of revelation, but rather it’s the ordinary acts that help us come back, even when it’s hard.
Mikal Bridges: Coming back even stronger
Mikal Bridges has had stretches of his career where he looked completely lost. He was weighed down by expectations, playing far below his ability, and visibly struggling under pressure. But then, he quietly found himself.
His arc reveals one of the most honest depictions of what recovery looks like. It isn’t a straight line upward, rather it is a long journey with its own ups and downs. Bridges didn’t have to completely reinvent himself for something to change, rather he found himself again. Therapy looks like this too. It’s not about becoming someone new and completely transforming your journey overnight. It’s about finding yourself, your core values, and reframing the pieces of the puzzle you already had. Progress rarely looks like a highlight reel that ESPN puts on after a game, rather it’s the whole 4 quarters, with its own challenges and lessons to learn.
OG Anunoby: Doing it for yourself, even if no one else is watching
OG Anunoby is not the player who usually has headlines with his name. Rather, his defense is big and he knows how to guard the other team. He does the unglamorous part of the game that makes rebounds possible. He does it without speeches, theatrics, and doesn’t expect credit. But he does it anyway, even if he thinks no one is watching.
He represents something that comes up in therapy, where people quietly carry the emotional weight which can pile on to someone. Whether it be managing anxiety in silence, functioning at work when your personal life is falling apart. So many people can be the OG of their own lives. With therapy, you realize that this isn’t something you should carry alone. Therapy can help you acknowledge how much work it costs to carry the weight that others don’t typically see. Yet, OG is still a fundamental part of the team, his works do not go unnoticed ultimately. And so does yours.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Expressing Yourself
Karl-Anthony Towns lost his mother to COVID-19 in 2020. He has spoken about that loss openly and emotionally, in a league that doesn’t always make space for that kind of vulnerability. He expresses himself fully, he cries and he celebrates his wins big. He wears his heart visibility, and he keeps on playing, even if he might get hurt.
Towns is a reminder that grief doesn’t have a schedule, and emotional expressiveness isn’t a liability. In a city that is as fast-moving as New York, we often feel as if we are expected to process loss and change quickly and get back to it. Towns models something different, that you can carry something heavy, and still show up and express how you feel. Softness and strength are not opposites.
Josh Hart: Caretaker, but takes care of himself
Josh Hart does it all. He rebounds, he defends, he shoots, he scores. He’s the practical definition of glue. He does it all, takes care of the team, and never complains. Sounds familiar?
A lot of people walk into therapy playing this role of glue. They’re always holding it together, the reliable one in the group, always fine. But “always fine” is not the same as actually fine. Being the person everyone leans on doesn’t mean you have to have it all together. You deserve a place to put your weight down too. That’s what therapy is for.
The roles of the starting five of the Knicks works the same way for mental health. It’s not one dramatic breakthrough. It’s showing up, recovering, doing the invisible work, feeling your feelings, and finally letting yourself be taken care of. You root for this team every season, through every set back, and celebrate their epic comebacks. It’s time to do the same for yourself!
PRIORITIZE YOUR WELL-BEING WITH SELF CARE THERAPY IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
Taking care of yourself sounds simple, but it can be surprisingly difficult to put into practice. You may spend so much time meeting the needs of others, managing responsibilities, or pushing through stress that your own well-being falls to the bottom of the list. Even when you know rest, boundaries, and self-compassion are important, making space for them can feel challenging.
At Manhattan Wellness, we understand that self-care is about more than bubble baths or taking a day off. True self-care involves learning how to listen to your needs, honor your limits, and create sustainable habits that support your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Working with a therapist can help you identify patterns that contribute to burnout, develop healthier coping strategies, and build a life that feels more balanced and fulfilling.
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We understand that prioritizing yourself can bring up a range of emotions and challenges. As you begin creating healthier boundaries and making space for your own needs, other concerns may arise along the way. To better support you, we offer a variety of services tailored to your individual goals. Our therapy services include Therapy for Stress Management, Anxiety Treatment, and Therapy for Dating and Relationship Issues, as well as Therapy for College Students, Support for Maternal Mental Health, Self-Esteem Therapy, and so much more.
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