Kevin Love has truly become an all-time great for the Cavs.
Now that Kevin Love sits second all-time on the list for three-pointers made while wearing a Cavs jersey, it’s time to acknowledge that despite some people’s beliefs, Love is in fact a Cavs legend. He may be a fringe Hall of Fame-caliber player, and the recent rash of injuries in his post-LeBron James run with the Cavaliers won’t help but the franchise can truly call him one of the greats.
A bit of an honorable mention. Love came here in the trade that sent Minnesota Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and veteran forward Thaddeus Young from Philadelphia, plus a $6.3 million trade exception. For their involvement, the 76ers got, a 2015 NBA first-round draft choice (which became Tyus Jones), as well as guard Alexey Shved, and forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from Minnesota.
The Cavs easily won that trade. None of the players involved in the trade are on the Timberwolves or 76ers squad, while the Cavs still have Love. That’s just one sign that the team won the trade. A winning trade for a prized player is a key sign of making him a franchise legend.
He’s in the top 10 in many categories
First up, Love is shooting up several stat categories. He’s currently second all-time in the number of three-pointers shot and made in a Cavs jersey. He’s also eighth all-time in total rebounds, sixth all-time in defensive rebounds, 10th in free-throw percentage, third in rebounds per game, first in defensive rebound percentage, eight in box plus/minus, and so many other stats.
If he finishes out his contract in Cleveland, there’s a good chance he sits atop a few of these categories all by himself.
He’s achieved personal and team success
While he’s not met his personal achievements from his time in Minnesota, Kevin Love has still continued a very storied career, earning two of his five All-Star nominations in Cleveland. Truthfully, had he been on a better team, he likely would’ve made it again in 2019, but the Cavs were awful and Love did miss some time.
While his numbers are down, he’s also slowly coming back from a pretty major foot injury and has been producing more and more as the 2021 season continues. While he’s dealing more and more with injuries, he’s also only 32-years-old and isn’t a player that relies upon supreme athleticism for him to make plays. He can play this style of basketball for years to come, all he needs to do is stay healthy. With that in mind, it’s possible that he returns to full form in 2021-2022. So a sixth All-Star nod (third in Cleveland) isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
He’s also one of the few players in not just franchise history but NBA history to not only win an NBA Championship but win four consecutive Eastern Finals as well. The team’s success isn’t just on him, obviously, but he did contribute to his fair share over the years and was even the guy who ended up guarding Steph Curry on Curry’s last-second chance to take the 2016 NBA Finals away from the Cavs.
He’s become a member of the community during tough times
Kevin Love is the biggest name on the Cavs and has used his platform to not just speak out on issues, but help those actually affected. Obviously, everyone knows about his issues with mental health and the struggles his anxiety causes him to go through. That would be one thing, but to also handle himself like (mostly) a true professional is impressive. His behind-the-scenes spat with his former friend and teammate Isiah Thomas became front-page fodder, and of course, his own admission and speaking out about it publically has been huge. Not just for athletes being able to be vulnerable but for helping change a toxic culture.
For many in Cleveland though, his support through the coronavirus pandemic has been a welcome relief. He donated $100k to the arena workers who were unable to work in 2020, and then followed that gesture up with $500k to the UCLA medical center for their research on mental health.
Because of these actions and others, Love was awarded many Humanitarian of the Year awards and Athlete of the Year awards, as well as the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
He’s never been just an athlete for the Cavs and somehow, someway, he’s found himself in a legendary place within the franchise. Whether fans are ready to admit it yet, or not, but Love’s legacy with the Cavs is one of hope and success.
That’s all you really need.