Kevin Love Pledges $100K to Aid Arena Workers Affected by Coronavirus

In order to help workers at the 29 arenas which have been impacted by the NBA’s work stoppage due to coronavirus, Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love has pledged $100,000.

“My hope is that others will step up!!” Love told ESPN via text message. There are more than 1,000 workers who are employed by the two arenas associated with the Cavaliers franchise, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse and the Canton Memorial Civic Center.

Love announced his decision on Instagram, ostensibly in the hope that other players will follow suit.

View this post on Instagram

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. And the fear and anxiety resulting from the recent outbreak of COVID-19 can be extremely overwhelming. Through the game of basketball, we've been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work. I'm concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I'm committing $100,000 through the @KevinLoveFund in support of the @Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season. I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities. Pandemics are not just a medical phenomenon. They affect individuals and society on so many levels, with stigma and xenophobia being just two aspects of the impact of a pandemic outbreak. It's important to know that those with a mental illness may be vulnerable to the effects of widespread panic and threat. Be kind to one another. Be understanding of their fears, regardless if you don't feel the same. Be safe and make informed decisions during this time. And I encourage everyone to take care of themselves and to reach out to others in need — whether that means supporting your local charities that are canceling events, or checking in on your colleagues and family.

A post shared by Kevin Love (@kevinlove) on Mar 12, 2020 at 2:36pm PDT

Elsewhere in the NBA, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has also pledged to continue to support hourly workers at American Airlines Center in Dallas amid the stoppage of play.

“I reached out to the folks at the arena and our folks at the Mavs to find out what it would cost to support, financially support, people who aren’t going to be able to come to work,” Cuban said after the NBA’s season was suspended. “They get paid by the hour, and this was their source of income. So, we’ll do some things there. We may ask them to go do some volunteer work in exchange, but we’ve already started the process of having a program in place. I don’t have any details to give, but it’s certainly something that’s important to me.”

Gestures like this are important as the NBA will shut down for at least 30 days, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

“Of course the issue becomes now, what we determined today, is that this hiatus will be most likely at least 30 days,” Silver said Thursday. “And we don’t know enough to be more specific than that. But we wanted to give direction to our players and teams and fans that this is going to be roughly at least a month.

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