As Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry enters the NBA playoffs, he is promoting mental wellness in partnership with the NBA and Kaiser Permanente with a TV ad in which he trains his mind.
The co-star in the ad is a sensory deprivation pod, as Curry is accustomed to experiencing the benefits of floating in one of them.
“It’s the only place that I’ve found in this world that you can eliminate all the senses basically,” Curry said.
“To be able to try to master your thoughts, to be able to calm your body down and understand what it’s like to truly be still for a little bit, with our crazy-paced world that we live in, you rarely ever find an opportunity to do that.”
Curry told ESPN The Magazine last season he floated for one-hour sessions in a tank at Reboot Float Spa in San Francisco mainly to get away from it all. The pod in the ad is similar yet newer version of the one Curry uses.
Art imitates life in the ad, as the reigning MVP deals with scrutiny about how he’s not one of the greats yet and how he’s overrated, too flashy and struggling this season. With positive reinforcement while he meditates and de-stresses in the sensory deprivation pod, Curry appears ready to go with the playoffs set to start.
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The ad was designed to address mental health and spark an open dialogue with the public about its importance, according to Kaiser.
“Kaiser Permanente believes that mental health is imperative to total health, and it is working not only to de-stigmatize things like depression, it is also working to promote proactive tools everyone can use to foster mental health and wellness,” according to the organization. “In Stephen Curry’s case, this tool is more than just a sensory deprivation pod, it is meditation, self-motivation, focus, deep breathing, and mindfulness.”
The ad is running outside regions where Kaiser Permanente is offered so that mental wellness and self-care are promoted nationwide.
The advertisement will also be accompanied with interviews about mind and mental wellness featuring Curry and Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, who are both Kaiser Permanente ambassadors.