Everyone is a work in progress. This is something Kevin Love told viewers who tuned in to the discussion about mental health between Love and New York Times reporter Juliet Macur on Nov. 29.

Her Campus Kent State hosted a watch party for the live broadcast of Love’s conversation with Macur at the Schwartz Center. The conversation, which was held at Tufts University, is part the Get With the Times conversation series.

“I have a lot of respect for Kevin Love after reading his story,” said Brady Warmbein, a freshman public relations student who attended the watch party. “I came tonight because I wanted to see what he had to say pertaining to his mental health now and how the conversation can be carried on in the future.”

During the live broadcast, Love talked about his panic attack that occurred during the Cleveland Cavaliers home game against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 5, 2017.

“I just could not catch my breath and I could not concentrate on what was going on,” Love said. “I went to my trainer’s room and fell on the floor and was gasping for air. I had never experienced something quite like that before.”

Love said he was taken to the Cleveland Clinic to be examined by medical professionals who said there was nothing wrong with him. At least not physically. 

“That’s when I came to the point and I looked at myself in the mirror and said ‘It might be time to start addressing what has been going on,’” Love said.

Love said he started attending therapy and working out some of his issues that he has dealt with since he was a kid, as well as his anxiety and depression. 

Katelin Melling, a junior nursing major, said she enjoyed watching the live broadcast because Love broke down the stigma surrounding mental health.

“I thought it was interesting when he said mental illness does not discriminate,” Melling said. “From the outside, it looks like he has it all. But you never know what someone is going through on the inside.”

Other students noted that they appreciated seeing a man talk about emotions and mental health.

“For me, it’s really cool seeing a guy − like a really big sports guy who is famous for being tough and an all-star champion − talk about something so personal and his mental health,” said Alexa Marco, a junior public relations student.

Marco is the social media director for Her Campus and helped organize the watch party event.

“I thought he was very real the whole time and he wasn’t staging any of his answers,” Marco said. “He even said that he was talking from the heart.”

Erica Fowler is the Education, Health and Human Services reporter. Contact her at [email protected].