With their larger-than-life aura, NBA players often appear almost superhuman, leading many to forget that they are, at the core, human beings. Moreover, given the constant expectations of working hard rigorously over a six-month-long regular season, plenty of athletes carry the weight of personal struggles onto the court.
Such was the case for Kevin Love, whose life-changing panic attack in the presence of thousands of fans not only brought his mental health issue to light but also underscored the importance of addressing them openly.
Love suffered a huge panic attack
On November 5, 2017, Love’s Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Atlanta Hawks at home, losing a nail-biting contest 117-115. During the contest, Kevin was a shadow of himself, managing to score merely 4 points (averaged 17.6 points per game in that season), including failing to score any in the entirety of the second half.
Interestingly, the turning point came three minutes into the third quarter when Love abruptly walked off the court after being overwhelmed by a racing heartbeat.
Plagued by unresolved family issues swirling in his mind, the five-time All-Star struggled to comprehend what was happening. In a revealing piece for The Players’ Tribune, Love later detailed how he rushed to the locker room, gasping for air and feeling utterly panicked.
“It’s hard to describe, but everything was spinning like my brain was trying to climb out of my head. The air felt thick and heavy. My mouth was like chalk. I remember our assistant coach yelling something about a defensive set. I nodded, but I didn’t hear much of what he said. By that point, I was freaking out. When I got up to walk out of the huddle, I knew I couldn’t reenter the game – like, I literally couldn’t do it physically. I ran back to the locker room. I was running from room to room, like I was looking for something I couldn’t find,” Love said. “Really, I was just hoping my heart would stop racing. It was like my body was trying to say to me, ‘You’re about to die.'”
Eventually, this harrowing episode marked a pivotal episode in his life, compelling him to confront his mental health issues in front of the world without hesitation.
Kevin understood the need to open up about his mental issues
Since that day, the 2011 Most Improved Player has become a leading advocate for mental health awareness. Love has consistently used his platform to break the stigma surrounding mental health, including donating $100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic to support arena staff in Cleveland.
His generosity ensured that these workers wouldn’t have to worry about their next paycheck during such an uncertain time.
Safe to say, while the 6’8″ forward suffered a fatal panic attack to learn his lesson, it gave him a better understanding of how to address mental health issues before they take a toll.
