Kevin Love had a workout on Friday at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ practice facility for the first time since the NBA went on hiatus nearly two months ago.
The five-time All-Star spoke with ESPN about how it felt to be back on the practice court, what the safety precautions were and what the new normal might be as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s just going to change the way — at least for the foreseeable future — of not only how we interact but how we live in our daily lives,” Love said. “So for me, was it weird? Yeah. I had [Cavs assistant coach] Dan Geriot at my basket and having him rebound and pass me the ball with a mask and gloves on. It’s just odd. It’s just weird.”
Despite the weirdness that he experienced, Love welcomed the change of pace that practicing on the court provided, something that he and his teammates will be able to do individually three or four times weekly.
“I feel like anybody who needs an escape or in everyday life is looking for any type of normalcy back doing something they love,” Love added. “For me, I played 25-ish years of organized basketball and this is the longest I’ve ever gone without touching [a basketball]. And it’s something I really, really enjoy doing.
“So for me, it definitely was a big dopamine hit, and it just felt great to get in there and sweat outside of doing my workouts at home or getting on a treadmill. Going out there and having some sense of normalcy and getting on the court and actually shooting was pretty uplifting.”
Love was one of four players who took the court for individual workouts. Cedi Osman, Larry Nance Jr. and Ante Zizic were the other Cavs who worked out separately on different hoops.
The Cavs were one of three NBA teams that were permitted to reopen practice facilities on Friday. The Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets were the other two.
Players who want to work out can do so provided that they do it voluntarily and individually while practicing social distancing.
The NBA announced the suspension of the 2019-20 season on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
At the time of the suspension, Love was averaging 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
