CLEVELAND — Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for his efforts in raising awareness about mental health.
FILE – In this Jan. 11, 2020, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love heads up the court after making a 3-point basket against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Denver. The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t invited inside the NBA’s Disney World summer bubble. They never want to have the door close on them again. One of eight teams whose season ended by the league’s decision to resume play in a controlled atmosphere in Florida next month, the Cavs are using their omission as fuel for the future. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Love, whose openness about his life-long battles with anxiety triggered nationwide discussion and helped spur the NBA to do more to help players deal with emotional issues, will receive the award at Sunday’s ESPYs in Los Angeles.
“It is an absolute honor to receive this award and I am incredibly humbled by it,” Love said.
“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.”
Named in honor of the tennis champion, the Arthur Ashe Award honors “those who find ways through sports to make a difference far beyond the field of play and impact the world in indelible ways.”
Previous winners include Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Nelson Mandela, Pat Summitt and Caitlyn Jenner.