but technically, welcome for the first time

to The Daily Social Distancing Show.

-How are you holding up? -It's, uh,

it's been a different time to navigate, I think, for...

for all of us.

It's just ridden with a lot of...

stress, anxiety, uh, the unknown.

I mean, forget sports for a moment.

Just, uh, you know, every walk of life,

and, really, everywhere in the world.

U.S., with the... with the most cases now,

you just, you have to tip your hat to, you know,

really, the heroes in this time is... uh, grocery store workers,

uh, pharmacy, people working at the pharmacy,

but, really, the doctors and nurses,

I mean, they're really putting in, you know,

a lot of... a lot of time.

But this has been, like I said, a different time to...

to navigate and find ways to keep busy

mentally and physically.

It definitely has been a difficult time to navigate,

but it feels like the NBA and many of its players

have stepped up in a really powerful and unique way.

I remember the shock when the NBA announced

that they were suspending the season.

I mean, nobody thought it would happen.

And then very quickly we started to hear stories

about how many people who worked in these arenas

wouldn't have a job.

And you were one of the first players who stepped up

and said, "Hey, I'm gonna give my own personal money

"to help pay for these people, I'm gonna help raise money

to pay for these people's salaries."

Um, and then the owners started stepping in.

Other players did as well.

Why did you feel it was so important for you to do that?

And-and how did you get everybody mobilizing?

What was the attitude of the NBA?

Yeah, well, it was about, uh,

I guess Wednesday would be three weeks, um,

you know, since that night in Oklahoma City,

when it was the Jazz versus, uh, OKC,

and, you know, I woke up the next day just...

just thinking about, um, you know, kind of like I mentioned,

the stress and anxiety of this time,

and not knowing when...

or if these people and these families

are gonna be able to put food on their table.

I mean, a lot of these people are living paycheck-to-paycheck,

and these are people that are a part

of not only my story but the Cavs organization,

um, and you start to develop a first-name basis

and first-name relationship with these... with these people,

and start to, you know, ask about their family,

and you see them when you come into the arena,

see them when you leave the arena.

So I thought it was important to just take care of people

that have, you know, taken care of me so long

and are... and are part of my story,

honestly, on and off the floor.

Yeah. Human beings are resilient,

but you're right, everybody needs help

getting through it, especially now.

Um, one of the things I've always appreciated about you

is how open you've been in discussing anxiety,

depression, you know, um, opening up that conversation

in the NBA, and then getting people more comfortable

speaking about how to deal with these issues in society.

Coronavirus has presented a completely unique challenge

for many people who suffer from anxiety or even depression,

where many of your circles are removed from you.

Many people don't have the networks that keep them, um,

you know, mentally as-as healthy as they'd like to be.

What have you been doing during this period,

and what advice would you give people out there

who go, "Kevin, I-I'm not coping, and...

"it feels like this is triggering everything

that gets me to the place I don't want to be in"?

Well, I know I can say it right back at you.

I got to tip the hat, 'cause I know that, you know,

this mental health has been a part of your story, as well.

So just, um, you know,

continuing to create community in that aspect.

-I think that's a huge thing during this time. -Mm-hmm.

You know, people will look back.

Uh, you know, they're not gonna look back on their death bed

and say, "Hey, I wish I would have earned more money.

I wish I would have, you know, had more fame."

They're gonna say, you know, that those relationships

are really what brought them joy and happiness.

So I feel like that sense of community...

Especially since I had shared my story.

I'm sure it's-it's, you know, the same for you,

especially with your book,

that, you know, a lot of people came out,

uh, you know, in droves

and-and large numbers and just expressed

kind of the things that they had gone through

and things that they had experienced,

whether it be, you know, firsthand or somebody, you know,

just removed from their inner circle, 'cause we're...

We all have people that go through stuff,

and we all grieve and deal with loss

at one point or another-another,

but this social isolation has been--

uh, speaking of navigating this time--

very, very different.

-Right. -I had done an NBA All-Star...

I had done a panel with, uh, Giannis and Chris Paul,

uh, Mike Wilbon and-and President Obama,

and he had... he had brought something up to me

that it's such a social issue.

Like, during this time, especially,

when it comes to mental health and depression and anxiety,

that, uh, it's the isolation and it's the loneliness

-that is so devastating during this time. -Yeah. Yeah.

And I-I... That really stuck with me when he said that,

because I think that's sometimes lost on people.

And I'm-I'm fortunate

to have a lot of great friends in my life

and-and be able to, you know, talk with people like you

that can scale up this message and, you know, allow people

to, uh, you know, further these conversations.

But that loneliness part of it

is-is-is, you know, very, very scary,

and, uh, I think it's important for people to know

it's normal to feel this way.

Right. Let me ask you this before I let you go.

Um, everyone is wondering

how the NBA is gonna come back

if and when it comes back for this season.

People are hoping the NBA can kick off

in maybe late May, maybe June, maybe July.

Everyone knows that means the season is gonna be compressed,

but the NBA has said they want a champion.

So, would you rather have it

that the season just becomes really short

and it's almost like a playoffs to a playoffs?

Or would you rather the season goes later in the year

and then the next season starts a little bit later?

Or do you just go straight?

What-what would you hope as the ideal scenario

-for the NBA right now? -Okay.

So, I'm gonna answer the second part first

'cause I've had this conversation

with a number of guys as well as, you know,

a couple of coaches and former coaches,

is that we have

the best schedule.

It's a scholastic schedule. You get summers off.

-So, selfishly... -Right, right.

Selfishly-- and I've done it for, what,

25 years now of organized basketball--

is that we've always had that schedule

where it's been, you know, September and October through...

If you go all the way to the finals,

it's through June, and then we get the summers off.

So we have it really good, and that doesn't...

That's not lost on any of us.

And, obviously, you know, drastic times, drastic measures,

but, you know, we would like to keep

the same schedule, 82 games.

But I would see a situation where

because guys might come in a little out of shape

and don't know how to get through this time

-'cause it is new. It's... -Mm-hmm.

That they will then, uh, you know,

have, like, a two-week training camp,

play ten games,

and then it'll go into some sort of a playoff scenario.

But I don't know if they'll play seven games

or they'll play a five-game series

that we haven't seen in a long time

and then they'll have the finals.

But I do think because we've had

so many of these sports taken away from us

that the ratings will be incredibly high,

and it'll be...

You know, in basketball, how it is,

it'll be anybody's game, anybody's championship.

So, as a fan myself,

that'll be fun to watch.

Well, Kevin, thank you so much for your time, man.

I hope you, uh, keep in shape,

and, uh, stay safe out there, man.

Good luck to you, and, uh, hopefully,

we'll be seeing you on the court sooner than later.

All right, likewise. Thanks, buddy.