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Kevin Love’s tenure with the Cavaliers didn’t end all that great. He was moved to the bench by former coach J.B. Bickerstaff, then agreed to an unceremonious buyout.
There also seemed to be tension with the front office at the time. That was February 2023.
But the years before that were pretty great, with Love serving as one of the central faces of the 2016 title team. Now 37 and a role player with the Jazz, Love clearly holds no ill will toward Cleveland. Just the opposite.
He talked with TMZ Sports about several topics, including the idea of having his No. 0 retired by the Cavs.
“There’s just so many names (in the Rocket Arena) rafters that it would truly be an honor to go up there,” Love said. “If I were ever to make it to go into the Hall of Fame, I would go in as a Cavalier and I think I would take a lot of pride in that.”
There’s always debate about whether Love is a Hall of Famer. His days of making a case are behind him, but his Cleveland numbers hold up — 15.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 8.5 seasons, four alongside LeBron James. Not a bad run by any stretch.
Meanwhile, he’s drawing praise for his leadership in Utah. A lot of people expected a buyout so he could join a contender. Love probably figured the same, and the Jazz might have, too.
For now, he hopes to play a little longer, even if he knows he’s nearing the end.
“I think I have to consider it a lot more than, maybe, five years ago,” Love told TMZ. “You start considering your athletic mortality and where you’re at, and what you’re gonna consider doing next.”
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