Andy and Kevin Love chat about issues pertaining to Mental Health Awareness Month and share some of their favorite memories from Kevin’s NBA career and as an Olympic gold medalist.
Love is known for more than just his All-Star basketball career. He has made a name for himself for his work as a mental health advocate after the publication of “Everyone is Going Through Something” in The Players’ Tribune in 2018.
“For me to be a leader in this area or in this stadium, if you will, it requires more just sharing my own story. It’s other people’s stories,” Love said.
He started the Kevin Love Fund to help normalize the conversation about mental health. The foundation supports Project Frontline, Bring Change to Mind, the Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, and UCLA’s local hospitals, among others.
“It takes on all different forms and all different shapes, it’s very, very complex…it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Love said.
Love explains that after basketball, his mental advocacy is the most important part of his career and is his life’s work.
Since no one is on the court right now, Love is focusing his attention on supporting people through the Kevin Love Fund. Not only was he one of the first NBA players to donate money to arena workers, he also provides relief for frontline workers and those affected financially by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re in a holding pattern right now,” Love said in regards to the pandemic. “If this time has taught me anything it’s that a small gesture can go a long way.”
He also shares memories of the 2011 lockout season when he played professional beach volleyball for a season and how that cross training affected his basketball performance.
In addition to the NBA and his stint in beach volleyball, Love was a member of the 2012 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team which won gold in Barcelona, Spain. He and Andy share memories about the Olympic run and reminisce about the late Kobe Bryant.
“It feels like it’s never gonna be enough, you have to keep giving and paying homage to Kobe,” Love said. “It’s so hard to put into words what he meant to me and what he meant to the game.”
Love also shares a never-before-heard memory of the late Bryant. Listen to the full podcast here.