Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love’s legacy with the Cavs and the city of Cleveland somehow continued to expand further beyond what he had already set in place.
Love, a champion of mental health advocacy throughout his lengthy NBA career, was documented in how he helped people off the court in a Wednesday article by SB Nation site manager Chris Manning.
“I cried like a baby when they won the championship,” said Bradley Pasqulalone, whose daughter, Madelyn, met Kevin Love after he got them tickets to a Cavs game and gifted her a pair of shoes. “At the time, I thought that would be the best moment I’d ever have with Kevin Love. But now, that’s nothing compared to what he did.
“He’s much more to the city than a basketball player. It’s the one player that supersedes the championship. He’s a great basketball player, but what he did here is the real legacy. It won’t hang in the rafters, but it’s the kind of thing that lives on.”
Kevin Love followed up his “Everyone Is Going Through Something” essay in the Player’s Tribune with another piece, “To Anybody Going Through It,” in 2020.
Love once donated $500,000 to his alma mater UCLA’s psychology department through his foundation, the Kevin Love Fund. The fund was established to “inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing tools for both mental and physical health,” according to its website. The news came one day after he received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) awards in 2022.
“When heroes like Kevin come forward and share their vulnerability, it shines a light on anxiety and depression, and that helps chip away at stigma,” said Michelle Craske, a UCLA professor in psychology, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. “I want to thank Kevin for his leadership and his courage to share his personal story with the world. He has inspired and provided hope to many.
“Through his continued efforts, he is changing people’s lives.”