Royal | News - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Prince Harry has opened up about the topic of mental health in a new interview following his fleeting visit to the UK earlier this week.
The Duke of Sussex sat down for a recorded chat with a former Spanish basketball star as part of his role with mental health charity BetterUp.
The prince has been the chief impact officer at the US coaching and mental health firm since 2021 and has been part of important discussions.
This year, the charity has partnered with ex-NBA player Pau Gasol’s foundation to help people “find their flow”, which Harry said helps lead to “peak performance, fulfillment, and greater well-being”.
In the wide-ranging interview Gasol, a two-time champion with the LA Lakers and a three-time Olympic medalist, opens up about his basketball journey and how he finds his own flow in the sport.
He told the duke: “You really don’t think about the outcome [of a game]. [Instead you are] just fully present and embracing that moment.
“You are playing for something bigger. You feel the responsibility but also the privilege. It [flow] is the moment of being fully present.”
He said the teams also have “emotional leaders” who “recognise the moments” players are getting “off track”. The leaders then work to help ground them and refocus.
Gasol said: “The power of the mind, your body can be sore, fatigued and [you have to think] is your mind going with that feeling and saying you can’t do it anymore?
“Or are you going to be champions who excel [in these moments] and decide you are not going to listen [to your body] because nothing will stop us from wining this game.”
According to The Daily Mail, the basketball star also mentioned his relationship with the late Kobe Bryant, whose daughter Natalia he is a godfather to.
He told the duke: “I have never had a teammate like Kobe that pushed me the way he did. He set the tone. His work ethic was something I couldn’t even [imagine].”
Harry’s chat comes after he visited the UK for a fleeting visit earlier this week. While in his home country, the Duke of Sussex – without wife Meghan Markle by his side – attended the WellChild Awards in London.
He then flew straight to Africa where he has been working to promote his charity Sentable.