Love: Being at reopened facility ‘weird, uplifting’
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said being at his team’s reopened practice facility felt “weird” on Friday.
The Cavs became one of the first NBA teams to reopen their practice facilities for voluntary individual workouts on the first day the league allowed it.
The workouts can be held if the team’s state had its shelter-at-home guidelines loosened and protocol is carefully followed.
Love was screened when he arrived at the Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence, Ohio before entering at a designated side entrance. The 31-year-old five time All-star was asked questions regarding any sick symptoms and his temperature was taken to make sure he didn’t have a fever. Only four players were allowed at a time – to follow social distancing practices – and once in the facility, players had their own half courts to work out with an assistant coach who was wearing a mask and gloves to pass and rebound.
“I feel like anybody who needs an escape or in everyday life is looking for any type of normalcy back doing something they love,” Love told ESPN. “For me, I played 25-ish years of organized basketball and this is the longest I’ve ever gone without touching (a basketball) And it’s something I really, really enjoy doing.
“So for me, it definitely was a big dopamine hit, and it just felt great to get in there and sweat outside of doing my workouts at home or getting on a treadmill. Going out there and having some sense of normalcy and getting on the court and actually shooting was pretty uplifting.”
At the practice facility, precautions were in place in every sight. Each player was 12 feet apart and each basket also had a corresponding table stocked with disinfectants. Only practice courts and weight rooms were open.
“Just making sure everything was separated so there wasn’t any cross contamination between the players,” Love said. “I changed my clothes and got out of there and showered at home.”
The Portland Trail Blazers also opened their practice facility doors for individual workouts Friday. Other teams are expected to follow suit in the coming days.
Love said he could see a blueprint for what practices could look like if NBA play returns.
“It’s just going to change the way, at least for the foreseeable future, of not only how we interact but how we live in our daily lives,” Love said. “So for me, was it weird? Yeah. I had (Cavs assistant coach) Dan Geriot at my basket and having him rebound and pass me the ball with a mask and gloves on. It’s just odd. It’s just weird.”