Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said he suffered a panic attack on Nov. 5, during the third quarter of a loss to the Hawks.
In an essay for The Players’ Tribune, Love confessed he had been having issues with his family and, along with no sleep and the Cavaliers struggling with a 4-5 record, Love broke down after he was benched by coach Tyronn Lue in the third quarter. Shortly after a conversation on the bench with Lue, Love ran into the locker room not knowing what was wrong.
“I was running from room to room, like I was looking for something I couldn’t find,” Love said. “Really I was just hoping my heart would stop racing. It was like my body was trying to say to me, You’re about to die. I ended up on the floor in the training room, lying on my back, trying to get enough air to breathe.”
The 29-year-old compared his panic attack to a “broken hand or sprained ankle,” in that it felt real. He went to the Cleveland Clinic and got tests, but everything was fine.
Shortly after, the five-time All-Star started viewing mental health differently. The Cavaliers helped him find a therapist and there, Love found that his issues weren’t necessarily what was happening on the basketball court. He revealed he had been dealing with grief over his grandmother’s death.
“The biggest lesson for me since November wasn’t about a therapist — it was about confronting the fact that I needed help,” he said.
Love said he was inspired to open up about his mental health after Raptors star DeMar DeRozan recently discussed his battle with depression and anxiety.
An All-Star selection this season, Love has been out injured since Jan. 30 with a broken bone in his left hand.