Shock Doctor Teams With Professional Basketball Star Kevin Love On Crusade To Increase Use Of Mouthguards Among Players

MINNETONKA, Minn., Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional basketball star Kevin Love is joining Shock Doctor™, a global leader in mouthguard technology, protective gear and recovery products, on a focused venture to reduce the frequency and severity of facial injuries by increasing adoption of mouthguards among basketball players at every level of competition. Love will wear Shock Doctor mouthguards on the court and have access to a full range of performance products from Shock Doctor.

"I make my living battling with some of the biggest, most talented athletes in professional sports," said Love.  "I have had my fair share of elbows and hands to the face.  After years of wearing a mouthpiece, I am excited to be partnering with the #1 mouthguard company in the world to raise awareness for the need for basketball players at every level to protect themselves."

Love will be the centerpiece of an ongoing campaign to increase discussion among youth athletes, athletic governing bodies, youth leagues, travel ball organizations, high school federations and parents about the benefits of wearing mouthguards.  In support of the campaign, Love will be featured in retail and advertising. In addition, Love will be protected by Shock Doctor equipment including mouthguards, performance sports therapy products and ICE Compression.

"Kevin is one of the most respected and hardest-working players in the Association," said Tony Armand, Shock Doctor's Chief Executive Officer.  "His tenacity and aggressiveness on the court has led to some pretty hard hits, so Kevin truly understands the need for proper protection and recovery equipment. We are excited to partner with him on this campaign."

While mouthguards are "standard equipment" in football and hockey, they have yet to be widely adopted in basketball at the youth level.  However, the 2012-2013 High School RIO™, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, University of Colorado, Denver, revealed nearly 30% of all basketball injuries are to the head and face, making it the most common in-game injury. In addition, when comparing injuries throughout all of high school sports, those to the head and face were twice as prevalent as the second-most common injury category.

Love is a three-time all-star, who averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds last year.  He holds the record for the most consecutive games with double-digit points and rebounds since the merger.  Love was the League's leading rebounder in 2010-2011 when he averaged 15.1 rebounds per game.

About Shock Doctor Sports
Shock Doctor Sports is a leading manufacturer of protective and performance sports equipment.  With a relentless focus on innovation and technology, its products are trusted by athletes, from youth to amateur to professional, across a growing number of sports.  Shock Doctor Sports has the world's leading mouthguard product line and also provides a full continuum of superior athletic products, including core protective, compression, performance sports therapy, sports glovers (under the Cutters ® brand), and insoles.  Its products are sold through major sporting goods retailers, independent dealers, online retailers, and healthcare professionals throughout the United States and around the globe.  For more information on Shock Doctor Sports, please visit www.shockdoctor.com and www.cuttersgloves.com.

About Kevin Love
A double-double machine with a deadly long-range shot, Kevin Love is in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love is a three time NBA All-Star, an NBA Three-Point Shootout champion, and was named the 2011 NBA Most Improved Player.  Also, he was a member of the 2012 Olympic Gold medal winning USA Basketball team. At UCLA Love was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year, a First-Team All American, and led the Bruins to the 2008 Final Four. In the past 7 seasons of his NBA career, Love has been one of the bright, young stars in the game.  During his rookie season, Love finished 9th in the NBA and 1st amongst rookies in rebounding and became the first rookie since Hakeem Olajuwon to lead the league in offensive rebound percentage.  He currently holds the record for the most consecutive games with double-digit points and rebounds since the merger. Love has also had as big an impact in the community as he has in the paint with his community platform Spread Love.  You can learn more about Kevin Love by following him on Twitter @kevinlove.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140923/147835

SOURCE Shock Doctor Sports