Jerry West says he has battled depression since childhood, when his father would beat the future Hall of Famer, causing low self-esteem that has plagued him despite a successful career as one of the NBA's biggest influences.

West says his West Virginia childhood was devoid of love and filled with anger as a result of his abusive father, who left him feeling tormented and worthless.

"I would go to bed feeling like I didn't even want to live," West says in a segment airing Tuesday on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."