In March 2018, Kevin Love offered a deeply personal account of his struggle regarding some mental health issues that he’d been dealing with, including panic attacks.
In a new interview, he indicated that his ability to deal with such issues was hindered by his father’s approach of trying to fight through such problems by himself.
Love spoke to host Jason Rosario about the problems connected to communicating with his father in an interview on the Yahoo program, “Dear Men.”
“Love had always taken cues from his father, Stan Love, who was a former NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers back in the 1970s,” wrote Rosario. “‘I was always taught to suppress it; I had my playbook when I was young where you never show your emotions,’ he recalled. ‘I think coming from his background and coming from an age where you just didn’t talk about it — he didn’t necessarily have the tools in order to teach me what I was going through or be able to express myself,’ Love said.”
What had been a concern for Love became a crisis in November 2017, when he had a panic attack during a game. Soon after, he began attending therapy sessions and four months later went public with his battles that also included anxiety and depression.
The decision to undergo therapy proved to be cathartic for Love.
“I think it’s very important to get it off your chest, and it’s also very liberating when you do that,” said Love. “I truly feel that nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say.”
Love’s decision received widespread praise across the league and from mental health professionals. He’s since created a foundation to help create greater awareness of the problem and has been the recipient of awards for his courageous approach.
On the basketball court, Love struggled through an injury-plagued season, but helped solidify his future last summer by signing a four-year contract extension with the Cavs. The $120 million deal begins with the 2019-20 season.
