Kevin Love

This week's blogpost will focus on NBA player Kevin Love and how he's dealt with mental illness, or as I would say, mental "unwellness."

Kevin Wesley Love was born in Santa Monica, California on September 7th, 1988 (USA Basketball); which makes him a Virgo like myself, so I kind of have a gist on how his mind works. Since us Virgos are very analytical, particular and super hard-working, it's hard for us to rest and give ourselves a break from constantly planning and overthinking. Continuing with Kevin Love's bio, he went on to play at the University of California, Los Angeles, better known as UCLA, for one season (2007-2008). Very soon after, he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played for six seasons (2008-2014). After his sixth season with the Timberwolves, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was a part of the 2016 championship team.

On the last episode of LeBron James' show on HBO, titled "The Shop", Kevin Love was one of the few celebrities who participated in a conversation on mental health and the mind of athletes. In this conversation, Kevin revealed his struggles with anxiety and depression and spoke about how it particularly affected him during his first season with the Cavs. He said that he wasn't even able to leave his apartment in Cleveland because of the media, unless he had practice or a game. He reached the "lowest point of his life" during the 2017-18 season, when he had to leave in the midst of a few games, due to him suffering from panic attacks.

After Kevin's first season with the Cavs, LeBron James joined the team, and returned to his home state of Ohio, which of course brought even more attention to the city of Cleveland, and especially the Cavs. This would of course lead to Kevin dealing with an extra set of issues, now having a legend on the team. He went from being the star of the Cavs to having to pass the torch to King James. Kevin didn't know how to act around LeBron, which caused him to become even more anxious.

“I was still a star, but I was afraid to be myself. I think that gave me anxiety as well. I was afraid to just be myself.” 

Is mental illness bad for business? or Should sport organizations capitalize off of the mental health industry?

My answers are yes.

Yes, mental illness is bad for business, if it causes a player to have to leave in the middle of a game. But, if a player doesn't take care of their self, including their mind and body, that'll be bad for their brand, in the long run. Just recently we saw Andrew Luck's early retirement from the NFL due to the mental and physical toll of being an NFL player. This is especially bad for business. 

Yes, sport organizations, like the NBA, should capitalize off of the mental health industry, because not only does this benefit the players, it brings awareness to the fans and spectators who may have their own mental health issues and watch the NBA's games as a source of therapy.

Works Cited

Morona, Joey. "Kevin Love appears on HBO's 'The Shop,' says early Cavaliers days gave him anxiety." 4 September 2019. cleveland.com, Covering Northeast Ohio. 28 October 2019. <https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/09/kevin-love-appears-on-hbos-the-shop-says-he-was-afraid-to-be-himself-during-early-cavaliers-days.html>.

Spurlock, Brian. "I understand why Andrew Luck retired, because I've been in his shoes." 26 August 2019. SBNation. 28 October 2019. <https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/8/26/20832198/why-andrew-luck-retired-rehab-injuries>.

USA Basketball. "Kevin Love." 1 May 2014. USA Men's National Team. 28 October 2019. <https://web.archive.org/web/20150726133640/http://archive.usab.com/bios/love_kevin.html>.

The Mental Health of Athletes

As a former athlete, participating in swimming and basketball, I know the first-hand pressures that sports has and how it can affect the mind and mental health of athletes, both positively and negatively. From the pre-game jitters, to beating yourself up when you make a mistake during a game, to the post-game celebrations or criticisms; this all has an effect on an athlete's mental health.

While general psychology has become a hot topic over the past few years, it's slowly making its way into the sport industry. I actually took a Sport Psychology course during my Junior year, where I learned about the importance of emotional intelligence and goal setting in sports, as well as, the different effects that team sports and individual sports has on an athlete.

So, ultimately, what is the importance of sport psychology?

Sports aren't simply physical, they're very much mental. An athlete's mental state, includes their focus on their sport, their confidence in their performance and their compatibility with their teammates, if they play team sports. For professional athletes, the media adds an extra layer to the stressors on their athletic performance. How? By worrying about how the media will portray them. For example, an athlete like Serena Williams, who is a black woman, definitely thinks about the media portraying her as the angry black woman stereotype, while also trying to focus on tennis. Another athlete that comes to mind is LeBron James Jr. (Bronny). We constantly see how his game is being compared to his father's. This might subconsciously affect how he plays basketball. If he doesn't play his best, the media will say he's overrated; if he does play well, the media will question if he'll be able to surpass his father's legacy. These are just a few of the many instances where an athlete's mental health can affect their performance on and/or off the court.

With this blog, I plan on unpacking and taking a deeper look at different examples where the mental health of those apart of the sport industry has or can be affected by sports. This includes their performance on and/or off-the-court, as well as their relationships with others, like their teammates, friends or family.