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Heat’s Love reflects on what might have been in Cleveland with LeBron, Kyrie

ira winderman, south florida sun-sentinel
·4 min read

CLEVELAND — The last man standing of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ championship Big Three checked out on Feb. 18 last season, with Kevin Love receiving a requested buyout on that date. With the Miami Heat playing Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, it would have had Love checking back in for the first time since his departure, if not for a personal reason that took him away from the team.

But before stepping away, what had been the impending return had Love reflecting on what was and what might have been alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

In 2015-16, James, Irving and Love led the Cavaliers to the franchise’s first and still-only championship. The following season, there was another trip to the NBA Finals, one followed by a trade demand by Irving.

From there, Cleveland also lost in the 2018 NBA Finals in the void of Irving, who had been dealt to the Boston Celtics. James then left weeks later for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.

Ahead of what was going to be his Cleveland return — with James still with the Lakers and Irving three stops later with the Dallas Mavericks — Love was asked about the ticking clocks on such big-three rosters.

“It’s definitely the NBA circle of life,” he said, stopping himself short and then adding, “but, also, we didn’t need to trade Kyrie when we did. We could have run it back. Because I felt like 2016-17 was our most talented team. I think you could argue that.”

Instead, as with the disintegration of so many recent three-player All-Star cores, it was never quite the same, the Cavaliers eventually overhauling with a core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley that left Love somewhat of an outsider in his own house.

The lesson with Irving and the Cavaliers, Love noted, very much became part of the changing face of the NBA.

“When you have a disgruntled star who wants out, it’s just kind of the way the NBA is now,” he said. “Not James Harden level, but you see that quite often.”

That didn’t mean Love didn’t appreciate the time in Cleveland, or the championship spoils, with four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

While it has been somewhat of an uneven ride for Love with the Heat, not only was he part of yet another NBA Finals roster last season, when the Heat played in the championship series against the Denver Nuggets, but this season he has helped fill the leadership void of retired Heat captain Udonis Haslem.

“He’s such a highly decorated, experienced veteran champion, that’s the reason we went after him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just felt in the biggest moments, he’s a guy that still can really produce. He helps your best players. I think the transition that he’s made at this stage of his career, most former All-Stars can’t or aren’t willing to do it. And he’s really a star in that kind of role.

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“He’s really important for our group, because he’s the connector of all connectors. He’s really our emotional leader. Bam (Adebayo, Haslem’s replacement as team captain) is like our heartbeat, but K-Love, he just connects everybody. And if he takes a charge or he makes a big play, it’s like 5X the impact on our team.”

What might have run its course for the Cavaliers has breathed life into the Heat.

“And it’s because he’s so pure,” Spoelstra said. “He just wants to win at this stage in his career. He just wants to do whatever it takes, however he can help to get our team to win, and there’s a karma to that.

“He’s willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team, and it’s a great example for everybody else to try to do what we’re trying to do. I love the role that he’s carving out right now and he’s helping all the other guys really kind of step up and look a lot better.”

Adebayo said Love has been the perfect leadership complement.

“He’s vocal. He keeps it light around the locker room,” Adebayo said. “He’s able to blend and mix well with all ages of teammates, from the rookies to the middle ground, which is me, and obviously the vets. And then he can also fit in with the coaches.”