Chandler Hutchison Opens Up About Retiring at 26

Former NBA first-round pick Chandler Hutchison opened up about the mental health struggles that eventually led him to step away from basketball during a deeply personal conversation with Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. on the latest episode of Curious Mike.

Hutchison, who was selected No. 22 overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2018 NBA Draft, discussed everything from anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder to panic attacks, psychosis, multiple treatment facilities, and his decision to prioritize his health over his basketball career.

For Hutchison, the pressure started building after draft night.

After spending four years in college, Hutchison said he felt like his development was on a different timeline than many of his fellow prospects. He put a lot of pressure on himself to improve immediately, and his perfectionistic tendencies became even stronger once he reached the NBA.

Eventually, that started affecting him on the court.

Hutchison explained how his OCD became connected to his jump shot. He became obsessed with perfecting his mechanics and would spend hours in the gym trying to make every shot feel exactly right. Instead of just playing, he was constantly thinking about what could go wrong.

That led to severe anxiety and panic attacks.

“I've played through so many panic attacks,” Hutchison said.

He recalled struggling to breathe during games while worrying about his shot and whether the ball might slip out of his hands. The anxiety made it harder for him to play with the confidence he once had.

Eventually, Hutchison reached a point where he told the Bulls he could not continue playing.

He stepped away from basketball and began treatment, believing he would eventually be able to return. But one day before he was scheduled to come back, Chicago traded him.

The trade came at a difficult time for Hutchison, who was already dealing with significant mental health struggles.

He eventually returned to basketball and found some freedom playing alongside Russell Westbrook, whom he called his best teammate.

Hutchison described his first game back as one of the most freeing games he had played. He finished with 18 points and six rebounds, but the numbers were not what stood out to him. For the first time in a while, he said he was simply playing.

He was taking his shots, attacking the paint, and playing without constantly second-guessing himself.

But the mental health struggles eventually returned.

After another attempt to continue his career, Hutchison experienced psychosis and later dealt with severe depression. He eventually retired again and entered what became the darkest stretch of his life.

Hutchison revealed that he went through five treatment facilities in five months before checking himself into UCLA's psychiatric hospital, where he spent eight weeks.

During that time, he said he developed a stutter and involuntary muscle spasms. He also lost significant weight and became so overwhelmed that he wrote goodbye letters to his family.

His father became one of the most important parts of his support system, visiting him every day during his hospitalization.

Hutchison also underwent 18 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy, which he said helped improve his stutter and spasms and gave him some relief from what he was experiencing.

But getting out of the hospital did not mean he was suddenly better.

Hutchison said he spent months at home sleeping for long stretches and struggling with basic daily tasks. He emphasized that recovery did not happen overnight and that he is still dealing with mental health issues today.

That experience has also changed the way Hutchison looks at basketball.

He is now focused on finding purpose outside of simply being an NBA player. Part of that has meant getting involved in player development, where he hopes to give young players some of the guidance and freedom he wishes he had earlier in his career.

“I needed a different set of coaching,” Hutchison said. “It was okay. If you fail, you still know who you are.”

Hutchison and Porter Jr. also connected over their experiences with injuries, perfectionism, and the pressure that comes with trying to reach the highest level of basketball.

The conversation eventually turned toward faith and identity as well.

Hutchison spoke openly about how his faith has helped him through his recovery, while also acknowledging that having faith does not mean every difficult thought or question simply goes away.

He admitted that there are still days when he struggles with why everything happened the way it did and what his future will look like. But he has also found more peace in taking things one day at a time and trying to build his identity around something bigger than basketball.

Hutchison is still dealing with many of the issues that have followed him throughout his life, but he is also finding ways to move forward. His work in player development has given him another way to stay connected to basketball and help players who may be dealing with struggles of their own.

He may not know exactly what the next chapter looks like yet. But after everything Hutchison has been through, he knows he has a purpose beyond basketball.