Basketball star Kevin Love donates $100,000 to help out-of-work NBA staff during coronavirus shutdown

As America shuts down its public venues to protect its citizens from COVID-19, there is going to be a terrible ripple effect across the economy when countless people temporarily lose their jobs.

The sports world, which depends on bringing large groups of people together, has been devastated by the virus.

The NBA, NHL, and MLB have decided to shut down their leagues, putting thousands of people out of work. With the NBA closing the doors on 29 arenas across the country for the foreseeable future, Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love has put up $100,000 to help out-of-work arena employees.

"My hope is that others will step up!" Love told ESPN

Here's a portion of Love's statement.

Through the game of basketball, we've been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work. I'm concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I'm committing $100,000 through the @KevinLoveFund in support of the @Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season. I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities.

Love also made note that we should be supportive of those who suffer from mental illness and "vulnerable to the effects of widespread panic and threat."

He also said we should also be aware of "stigma and xenophobia" caused by the pandemic.

"Be kind to one another," Love said. "Be understanding of their fears, regardless if you don't feel the same."

People who wish to contribute can do so through the Kevin Love Fund. Its aim is "inspiring people to live their healthiest lives while providing the tools to achieve physical and emotional well-being."

On Thursday, the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse where the Cavs play their homes games, made a commitment to help its employees. The arena announced it will create "a compensation plan to continue paying our event staff and hourly workforce that is impacted with the changes to our regular event schedule."

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has made a similar gesture to the employees at the American Airlines Center.

"I reached out to the folks at the arena and our folks at the Mavs to find out what it would cost to financially support people who aren't going to be able to come to work," Cuban said during a news conference Wednesday.

"We'll do some things there. We may ask them to go do some volunteer work in exchange, but we've already started the process of having a program in place," Cuban continued. "I don't have any details to give, but it's certainly something that's important to me."

COVID-19 is already having a significant effect on just about every facet of American life. Love's gesture isn't just important for the people that work in the Cavaliers organization, it calls attention to the pain that's starting to be felt everywhere as America shuts down due to the virus.