Darryl Strawberry has a succinct message for anyone trying to dunk on Nick Kyrgios‘ suspension for cocaine: Back off.
The former Mets star, who is now a pastor counseling others through drug recovery, spoke to TMZ about the tennis star’s recent suspension.
“I think it’s truly unfair when people punish people, especially athletes, that have substance abuse problems,” Strawberry said. “I had it for a very long time and I received the same kind of treatment from the public. A lot of times we don’t understand what a person is going through emotionally, mentally, inside.”
“Substance abuse is just something to escape from. You can be great as an athlete and have all the talent you want, but at the same time, when you’re broken on the inside, you need to be healed on the inside. And that’s all it is really for him.”
Strawberry was suspended three times during his 17-year MLB career for substance abuse, including cocaine, leading many to speculate how his career might have played out had he stayed clean.
Now an author of a book detailing his recovery and journey as a pastor, Strawberry is speaking up to give grace he sometimes didn’t receive as a player.
“I’ve been in recovery a long time. I’m a minister of the gospel now,” Strawberry said. “You know, people have written me off. We’re not God and we shouldn’t play that.”
Kyrgios, 31, was provisionally suspended Wednesday after testing positive for cocaine. He faces a suspension of up to four years depending on whether or not he used during competition.
The Aussie tennis star has been in a career spiral as injuries have piled up in recent years. Once a Wimbledon finalist in 2022, Kyrgios was playing in just his eighth tournament since the start of 2023 when he was met with the failed test.
Ranked 919th in the world after peaking at No. 13, Kyrgios said his recent injuries and performance have left him feeling “helpless and alone.”
“The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally,” Kyrgios wrote in his Instagram story after the suspension. “My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.”
Strawberry knows that feeling all too well, as his Yankees tenure to end his career was plagued by cancer and other injuries.
“He just needs time,” Strawberry said of what Kyrgios needs right now. “He just needs people to love him through the process. And that’s what it was for me, having people love me through the process and help me through the process. We all need help. You know, we all fall short.”
