Kevin Love on battling mental health issues: "Nothing haunts us like the things we don't say."

Ever since he wrote about his mental health and depression issues in the The Players’ Tribune, the floodgates have opened up for Kevin Love.

Since the essay came out, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ forward has taken up the cause and become an unfailing advocate for better awareness around these issues.  Love was on the TODAY show early Wednesday morning, discussing his ongoing commitment to helping people, especially men, talk more openly about anxiety and depression.

There’s nothing in the interview that Love hasn’t previously gone over, but the fact is, is that this is a conversation that needs to happen again and again. There aren’t any quick fixes for anxiety or depression, but being open about them is the best place to start.

One of the important aspects that Love keeps fighting against are notions of toxic masculinity that stop men from getting the help they need. Because we’re so regimented with our thinking about gender, a lot of men don’t have the tools to admit when something’s wrong.

This is important for young kids especially he said, and wants them to realize that being vulnerable is OK.

“Speak your truth. Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say,” he said.

I particularly think this is an important message, and not just one that Love talks about on the TODAY show, but shows off on his Instagram feed.

I mean, have you looked at it lately? Dude is not afraid to be soft. Take a look at this video of him and his dog.

It’s like, 45 seconds of peak softness. That’s not the only example. There’s also this one, which comes with an explicit, all-caps, soft warning.

There are many ways to set good examples for kids and letting them see a NBA basketball player at peak softness is one of them.

Good for you, Kevin Love. Soft on Instagram with his dog and soft on the TODAY show.