NBA star Kevin Love is urging his fans to take care of their mental health after the death of Stephen "tWitch" Boss.
Love, 34, who has been a leading voice for mental health awareness throughout his career, took to Instagram to share a message with his followers on Wednesday.
"Everyone is going through something that you can't see," Love wrote in an Instagram story accompanied by a photo of the late dancer.
Love added: "Be kind. Reach out. Spread LOVE."
County officials confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday that Boss, 40, died by suicide.
Love, who currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has previously opened up about his own struggles with depression and self-harm. During a 2020 interview with Graham Bensinger, the NBA player said during one particularly low point in 2012 he struggled with suicidal thoughts.
"Those are really scary moments in my life," he said. "... The good thing that happens is when you do search that it comes up with the National Suicide Prevention line. There was a couple ways that I toyed with but it was too scary to get down that route and think about that idea of taking my own life, but it was something that crossed my mind pretty often, especially in a moment like that."
Love explained that he shares his journey with mental health since "nothing haunts us like the things we don't say, so me keeping that in is actually more harmful."
"I think that's been the biggest and most helpful thing for me is exposing it, understanding that it is gonna make me vulnerable and maybe put me in a spot where most people it could be tough, but I know that there's a whole group and strength in numbers out there of people who are dealing with it."
Back in 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward created the Kevin Love Fund after releasing an article explaining his struggles with mental health. The foundation is aimed at awareness for children struggling with mental health.
"What I have found about mental health or mental illness is that it takes many shapes and forms," he said. "It goes with every demographic, but I think for myself in creating my fund, the big demographic I really want to point out and look to is children. I think it is very important for kids and their parents to understand what is going on, and that's why being here is so important."
