Love open about panic attack during game
Suffering for years in silence, Kevin Love has opened up about his struggles with mental health.
The Cavaliers forward writes in an essay for the Players' Tribune that he had a panic attack during a game this season and he has spent most of his life afraid to accept there was something wrong with him.
"For 29 years, I thought about mental health as someone else's problem," he said.
Love says he was stricken with anxiety Nov. 5 during a home game against the Atlanta Hawks. Love adds that he had been under family stress and hadn't been sleeping well. After briefly being winded while playing 15 minutes in the first half, he felt his heart racing and couldn't catch his breath during a timeout in the third quarter.
"It's hard to describe, but everything was spinning, like my brain was trying to climb out of my head," said Love, a five-time All-Star now sidelined after breaking his left hand last month.
"The air felt thick and heavy. My mouth was like chalk. I remember our assistant coach yelling something about a defensive set. I nodded, but I didn't hear much of what he said. By that point, I was freaking out."
Love was taken to the Cleveland Clinic, but tests didn't reveal anything abnormal. He returned to playing at a high level, but was puzzled by what happened and burdened about people finding out.
Smart fined for criticism of officiating
Celtics guard and former Oklahoma State standout Marcus Smart has been fined $15,000 for public criticism of officiating.
NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced the fine on Tuesday.
After Boston's 123-120 loss to Houston on Saturday, Smart said Rockets guard James Harden is among those who receive favorable treatment from referees.
Smart told the Boston Globe that "certain players" get "calls that other guys just wouldn't get."