Cavs: Kevin Love will receive Humanitarian Award during Greater Cleveland Sports Awards

Cleveland Cavaliers big Kevin Love has made it known that he has had his share of mental health struggles, and has dealt with panic attacks. He touched on his battles with anxiety and depression, to go with panic attacks seemingly in an article published by The Players’ Tribune back in 2018 titled Everyone Is Going Through Something.

Love has since been such a key leader in helping spread the awareness of the importance of mental health, and he has since founded the Kevin Love Fund to aid those in helping live their healthiest lives, both physically and mentally, and has clearly made a difference in the lives of countless people.

Love has been quite the leader during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well. He previously, via his fund, donated $100,000 to help compensate Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse employees/event staff that were affected by what would end up being game cancellations due to the league’s prior COVID-19-induced hiatus/ultimately the end of last season for Cleveland, for one.

That started an amazing trend then among other NBA players, too, and for his continued mental health efforts and aiding those all over, also in regards to the pandemic, Love would last year be the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the ESPYs.

Shortly thereafter, Love announced that his fund would end up donating $500,000 to his alma mater’s, UCLA’s, Psychology Department, to aid in helping research in relation to mental health efforts.

It’s been abundantly clear that Kevin Love has been quite the leader off the floor during what’s been such a tough time for so many, and for his continued efforts, it was recently announced that Love will be the recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award during the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Thursday evening. That will be presented by Medical Mutual and and Ancora then, and per a Cavs press release, will be aired on “WKYC TV 3, wkyc.com and SportsTime Ohio.”

Congrats go out to the Cavs big man for this honor; Kevi Love has made a difference in countless lives.

This statement from David Gilbert, the President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, regarding Love being the aforementioned recipient, was on the mark.

"“We are very excited to award Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love with Humanitarian of the Year,” said David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “This first-year award which recognizes sports leaders who give back to our community, was incredibly important to us coming off such a difficult year for so many. Love’s commitment to help other with their mental health, willingness to provide financial aid and support front line workers is truly inspirational.”"

That Cavs release highlighted how Love aided front line workers by his fund sending a “truckload of lunches to the staff of the Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Intensive Care Unit and its COVID-19 testing sites and appeared by FaceTime to personally thank healthcare workers.”

Love’s efforts have been well-documented, and his willingness to aid countless people all over have, both in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and with his mental health efforts, have been beyond admirable. It makes me proud as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, really.

In terms of on the floor, hopefully we’ll see Love back in game action for the Wine and Gold pretty soon following the All-Star break; he’s been sidelined since Dec. 27 due to a high-grade right calf strain of which he reaggravated.

Love, who has been a five-time All-Star between the Cavs and Minnesota Timberwolves and won the 2016 NBA title with Cleveland, had a solid campaign last season. He had 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per outing, and knocked in 2.6 of a career-high 7.0 three-point attempts in 2019-20, a robust 37.4 percent clip.

Congrats to you, though, Kev; this was much deserved.