Kai Jones mental health might not be in the right state, as claimed by many fans on the internet. The former Hornets star has been showing erratic behavior for quite a while.
Last season, the 22-year-old had a poor showing in his second pro-season. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game but looked a better player during the NBA’s Summer League, averaging 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks.
And right when Hornets fans hoped the youngster would have a better 2023 season, he went into an incredible rant on Instagram. He called out NBA legends LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal and his teammates, Mark Williams, Nick Richards, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller.
On October 9, Jones publicly requested a trade on X (formerly Twitter), and it looks like the Charlotte Hornets had enough of him. The Hornets waived the former first-round draft pick three days after his post on X.
Kai Jones Mental Health Update: Does He Have Bipolar Disorder?
Kai Jones’ mental health has become a topic of concern among not only his fans but the entire NBA community. Some of Kai’s behavior points to underlying bipolar disorder, as said by his fans.
In early September, Jones went live on Instagram, where he was seen acting incoherent. The young player’s room also seemed to have been scribbled with crayons.
Some fans pointed out that the drawings on the walls were not neat artistic stuff but were small drawings of heats, crosses, and infinity signs. Many noted that Kai was talking fast and sweating profusely when he went live.
In the following weeks, Kai took to his Instagram again, but this time to criticize his teammates. He criticized the likes of Mark Williams, Nick Richards, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller.
Then Jones continued his erratic behavior on X (formerly Twitter). Jones wrote he would 100% beat LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal one-on-one.
On X, Jones wrote, “I have had a better shooting percentage than them (LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller) since I came out of the womb, and neither can defend me.”
On October 1, 2023, Shams Charania from The Athletic reported Jones would be away from the team indefinitely and would not participate in the training camp.
Eight days after that incident, Jones took to X to issue a public trade request. He wrote, “I have officially requested to be traded from the Charlotte Hornets. #GOATLIFE.”
Fans believe all these are signs of bipolar disorder, and one NBA fan even said Jones might be suffering from an extended manic episode.
Kai Jones Speaks On His Mental Health
The NBA youngster, Kai Jones, has made it clear to his fans that he doesn’t suffer from mental health issues.
On October 8, Jones wrote on X, “My mental health is perfect, nothing wrong with the GOD, the rumors are not true. MVP ME DOE.”
And since this post, a lot of things have gone wrong for Jones. He requested publicly for a trade, and now he has been waived by the Hornets. Earlier today, a video was shared on X of Kai dancing on the sideline of his girlfriend’s soccer game.
He reposted the video, writing, “Yuh yuh yuh yuh yuh I got infinity money.”
Fellow NBA player Terrence Ross showed concern towards Ross, and the two had an Instagram exchange which quickly went viral.
In one of Kai’s Instagram posts, Ross asked about his well-being. He wrote, “Is he all there, mentally?”
Kai quickly replied, “I am the greatest of all time check my highlights.” And Terrence followed Kai’s answer with, “So no.”
It doesn’t look like Jones will reply to Terrence anytime soon. But like Terrence, many are concerned about the youngster spiraling down so quickly.
Kai Jones’s mental health has prompted a lengthy post on the subreddit r/NBA. One user compared Kai’s behavior to his when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2019.
The user wrote that delusions of grandeur, general detachment from reality, and quick, rapid-fire thoughts were a few behaviors he showed when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And unfortunately, these are the same behavior shown by Kai.
