Kevin Love Opens Up About Mental Health: “It’s Been Therapeutic, And It’s Been Good To Share My Experience”

Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love opens up about struggling with his mental health.

As quiet as it’s been kept, many people wouldn’t know that Love has been dealing with his mental health for some years. The world caught a glimpse last year when the ball player ran off the court during a game after a panic attack.

But Love says calling a “panic attack” exactly what it is, a panic attack, helped him address his episodes head on. Love began his journey to mental comfort with an open letter in The Players Tribune in March. Love says his method to recovery could help others fighting the battle in silence. “Beating that stigma has been something that has been great in my life. It’s been therapeutic, and it’s been good to share my experience and try to help.”

Love went on to say the pressure of male athletes to never admit to mental health issues weighs him down heavily. Love wants to make it easier for current and upcoming athletes. “The biggest lesson for me since (the panic attack) in November wasn’t about a therapist, it was about confronting the fact that I needed help,” he wrote.

Just a few days before the kicks start of NBA season in October, the league issued a statement in regards to mental health and its company’s current policy. “At the NBA level there is great awareness, but the execution level is still far from there,” says sports psychologist Adam Naylor, who has counseled players in the NBA, NHL, and PGA. “I hope it looks different five years from now.” But the NBA is making sure to highlight mental health as a major priority. Players like Love have helped the league create programs that cater to mental wellness like counseling.

There isn’t a policy in place that protects players from being fined. Additionally, teams are not required to keep mental health professionals on staff, but they do have to be on call and readily available. “I think the league and professional sports and in every walk of life, that’s where it’s trending,” Love says, stressing the need for access to confidential therapy “at arm’s reach.”