3 former Cleveland Cavaliers players in the NBA Finals

Kevin Love – Miami Heat

Obviously, Kevin Love is on the list. In some odd way, Love should be grateful to J.B. Bikerstaff and the Cleveland Cavaliers for bailing on him mid-season. He’s been a key contributor for the Heat this postseason, playing nearly 20 minutes a game for the Heat and being one of the more influential, non-scoring players. His rebounding, defense, and passing have made him a very useful contributor to the team, especially with Tyler Herro being down for most of the postseason so far.

Love, however, has always done well in the playoffs. While this is just his fifth playoff appearance in his career, he’s never failed to make it to the NBA Championship in any of his five combined outings. Though he didn’t play in the 2015 NBA Finals due to a shoulder injury.

Now he’s back in the finals and once again aiming for an NBA Championship, but in typical Love fashion, he’s coming in on the underdog team, and facing a postseason giant. Before, it was Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, now it’s Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. For Love and the Heat, this will be a huge uphill battle for them against a supposedly better team but with the way Jimmy Butler can make things happen in the NBA Playoffs, this series is anything but predictable.

Sadly for Love, this may be his last real shot to win an NBA Championship. He’s 34 and clearly on his last legs as a viable NBA player. He may have another year or two in him, but this is the last best chance for him to add a second title to his legendary career.