CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Love thought he was dying the night of Nov. 5, when he laid on the floor inside the Cavaliers' locker room suffering from a panic attack.

"I had a moment where I thought I was going to die," Love said to Carson Daly on NBC's The Today Show in an interview which aired Monday.

Love also shared the story with ESPN for a report on mental health that was published Monday.

"I thought I was having a heart attack," Love continued. "I was running around looking for something that I couldn't find. I just wanted to get air. And so I ended up basically unconscious on the floor and putting my hand down my throat and trying to get something out of there, but there was nothing there."

Love, 29, a five-time All-Star who signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Cavs last month, disclosed to the world in March his panic attack and confronting of mental health issues. He left the game against the Hawks on Nov. 5 because of the panic attack, and was transported to the Cleveland Clinic after the episode in the locker room.

Love hadn't disclosed the details of what happened that night until Monday's media blitz -- he said Cavs trainer Steve Spiro found him lying on the floor.

"I just remember him screaming my name, because you don't really know how to deal with that," Love said.

Love's teammates were not told of his condition until Jan. 22 during a contentious team meeting in which they confronted him for leaving a game against the Thunder, leaving The Q before it was over, and then failing to show for practice the next day. Numerous sources told cleveland.com Love suffered that weekend from symptoms consistent with his previous panic attack, but Love has denied that.

Either way, Love is now at the forefront of trying to erase the stigma of mental health issues, especially for famous men. Love thanked the Cavs the day he signed his contract extension for "having my back" on mental health.

Spurs star DeMar DeRozan admitted to depression last year, and Cavs coach Tyronn Lue disclosed during the Finals his prolonged illness that cost him 10 games was related to anxiety.

Daly disclosed his own battles with panic attacks and mental health on The Today Show after Love's revelation in March.

"Kevin, since I've shared my story, largely inspired by you, I'm amazed -- everywhere I go people are like, 'hey, the anxiety piece you did on The Today Show, thank you so much,'" Daly said to Love.

"Everywhere I go, it's the same with you -- having the courage to be up front with this kind of thing, has been unlike anything I've ever experienced," Love said.

In ESPN's piece on mental health, former Cavs coach John Lucas estimated that 40 percent of NBA players are dealing with some kind of mental health issue, but less than 5 percent had sought help.

"It's an epidemic in our league," Lucas told ESPN. "I'm talking about everything from ADHD to bipolar to anxiety and depression."