TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan has fans worried about his mental health once again.
The Toronto Raptors star, who features in the NBA's mental health PSA, posted on his Instagram story "Dark days, darker nights . . ." early Tuesday morning.
The words, set in type so tiny it was almost unreadable, against a black background, are also the title of a 2014 song by American hip-hop artist Tedashii.
"Could this be a reference to his mental health, or is this just something completely unrelated," a Raptors fan asked on Reddit. "I hope he's just enjoying a song but man, hope it's not him going through something."
DeRozan first hinted about his depression in a February tweet, writing "This depression get the best of me..." which were also song lyrics, before opening up about his mental health issues. DeRozan's candid talk then prompted Cleveland forward Kevin Love to open up about his episodes of anxiety in an article he wrote for The Players Tribune.
DeRozan and Love star in the NBA's campaign which is airing during the playoffs. DeRozan says in the ad: "We all go through it . . . Don't be ashamed of wanting to be a better you."
The 28-year-old DeRozan spoke during the Raptors' second-round playoff series against the Cavaliers about the importance of being open about mental health.
"When we get to speak out against something that's bigger than basketball -- something outside of the conversation of basketball -- it's important, man," DeRozan said. "A lot of people suffer from a lot of things. They're afraid to share, they're afraid to bring to the light and be better. It starts very young. It goes a long way. So anything that's beneficial to (bringing) this to light and being happier, that's what it's all about."
The Raptors said neither DeRozan nor the team would be commenting on the Instagram post.
Toronto was swept in the playoffs in four games by Cleveland, costing coach Dwane Casey his job.
