Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. describe return to Cavs practice facility

On Friday, the Cavs were one of two NBA teams to re-open their facilities to voluntary player workouts about two months after the season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to players, the experience of being back at the facility was both weird and a relief.

“I feel like anybody who needs an escape or in everyday life is looking for any type of normalcy back doing something they love,” Kevin Love told ESPN. “For me, I played 25-ish years of organized basketball, and this is the longest I’ve ever gone without touching [a basketball]. And it’s something I really, really enjoy doing.

“So for me, it definitely was a big dopamine hit, and it just felt great to get in there and sweat outside of doing my workouts at home or getting on a treadmill. Going out there and having some sense of normalcy and getting on the court and actually shooting was pretty uplifting.”

“It’s just going to change the way — at least for the foreseeable future — of not only how we interact but how we live in our daily lives. So for me, was it weird? Yeah,” Love also told ESPN. “I had [Cavs assistant coach] Dan Geriot at my basket and having him rebound and pass me the ball with a mask and gloves on. It’s just odd. It’s just weird.”

Larry Nance Jr. was another Cav to return to the facility.

“It was wonderful,” said Nance, who told the New York Times that he did aaa 90-minute workout at the facility. “It was more for mental health than physical, to be honest with you.”

NBA teams can have four players at a facility at a given time. Along with Love and Nance, Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic were also at the facility. The Trail Blazers were the other teama to open their facilities this week. Players are under orders to maintain at least 12 feet of distance from one another.