Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love to receive Arthur Ashe Award at ESPYS

The Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY’s.

Kevin Love has had an up-and-down tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ranging from being relegated to a roleplayer in some playoff series to better accommodate LeBron James and Kyrie Irving’s style of play, al the way to being called out by former teammate and long-time friend Isiah Thomas for his play. Love hasn’t had the easiest time in Cleveland, but the former All-Star has earned high praise after coming forward to talk about mental health issues that he struggles with.

Love came forward in 2018 and revealed that he suffers from panic attacks and has been seeing a therapist to help combat the issues. Since then he and DeMar DeRozan have become the faces of the league for players who suffer from mental health issues.

Love’s continual advocacy of mental health awareness has earned him continual praise and has become one of his biggest passions. He’s since stated that he wants to open a foundation to help young men and boys deal with mental health issues.

The ESPYS to honor Kevin Love.

So it’s no wonder that ESPN would honor Love with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, as he has become the face of the league in tackling mental health issues in one of the most mentally demanding sports in the world.

In a statement in response to winning the award, Kevin Love said

"It is an absolute honor to receive this award and I am incredibly humbled by it In telling my story, if I can help just one child that is suffering to make sense of what they are experiencing, I know my efforts have been worth it.And I hope one day we are able to erase the stigma around mental illness, starting with public conversations around mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it, followed by research, action, and change."

Love has become a well-respected member of not only the Cleveland community but the NBA as a whole, as he continues to move forward the discussion on mental health awareness.

Congratulations, Love. You absolutely deserve it.