One day after receiving the 2020 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS, Kevin Love's work continues.
On Monday, UCLA announced that the Cleveland Cavaliers forward has committed $500,000 through his foundation, the Kevin Love Fund, to establish the Kevin Love Fund Centennial Chair at the psychology department of his alma mater. Love's commitment and matching funds "will support the teaching and research activity of UCLA’s faculty working to diagnose, prevent, treat and destigmatize anxiety and depression."
“I am happy to be able to help UCLA, my alma mater, work toward solving some of society’s biggest underlying issues," Love said in a release. "I hope one day we are able to erase the stigma around anxiety and depression, and we can only do that by improving diagnosis and treatment, fostering public conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it.”
In 2018, Love first revealed his struggles with mental health in an essay for The Players' Tribune titled "Everyone is Going Through Something." Later that year, the 5-time All-Star established The Kevin Love Fund, which aims to promote emotional and physical well-being, particularly as it relates to mental health.
In the time since, Love has been one of the most public faces in sports to speak out and take action regarding mental health issues. That ultimately led to the 31-year-old receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which is presented annually to an individual whose contributions transcend sports.