Former No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley is still playing professional basketball, and he’s getting a major contract in China to continue doing just that.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Sunday that Beasley had signed a seven-figure contract with the Shanghai Sharks, a team of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Beasley, 33, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018-19 season, when he played 26 games for the Los Angeles Lakers. He played in the ABC in the recent past, but not for the Sharks.
In college, Beasley played a year at Kansas State before declaring himself for the 2008 NBA Draft. He was picked No. 2 overall by the Miami Heat, but never made it to his potential. He’s had some good times on the pitch, but has been plagued with issues – issues he recently discussed on ‘The Pivot’ podcast.
Beasley has struggled with drug issues throughout his career, but has also struggled with mental health issues. Some of them are the result of treacherous relationships with his family, which Beasley says had stolen from him during his career. He has since struggled to surround himself with the right people, saying it’s “tiring” to keep looking for the right people.
Because of these dysfunctional family relationships, he says he doesn’t trust people easily and remains very insular, often sitting at home alone, only talking to his children on the phone, and only leaving the house. to play basketball. He said he tried asking friends for help, but at this point he didn’t want to burden them with his problems.
Beasley also wondered how low an athlete has to be to get help from his community.
“Do I have to be Delonte West to get help? Beasley said. “No disrespect to Delonte West or people in his place. But what does it take to do well? All my life I’ve asked for help. People have called me crazy. […] I’ve reached out so, so many times to different people and it’s just that I have to die with some kind of dignity.
Beasley was clearly going through a tough time during this interview, breaking down in tears on several occasions as he opened up about his past. The hosts tried to cheer him on, telling Beasley that people still love him and want to see him succeed.
The hosts were right. After Charania broke the news of Beasley’s new contract, many people responded with enthusiasm, love and support, saying they hoped this new contract would help Beasley heal and get better mentally.