It has been a hectic past couple of years for Kevin Love who was bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, then signed by the Miami Heat in hopes to revitalize his basketball career. Since then, it seems as if the former All-Star is truly comfortable in his surroundings with the Heat, especially with the birth of his daughter.
While there is no doubt that Love is in the twilight years of his career, he has found an integral role with Miami being the backup center for star Bam Adebayo. In an interview with Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel, Love said that it has been “gratifying” to go through this change and come out great from it as he also expressed that it “has been a very happy year.”
“I think the thing that’s most gratifying to me is that going to a new location or a new team or a new organization, new city, especially at this stage in your career, you never know what’s going to happen,” Love said. “And after that run last year, I got so much fun out of it, as well as guys I’ll have relationships for life, bigger than basketball.
“My daughter was born on June 10th, right after Game 4 (of the NBA Finals). We bought a new house in Miami,” Love continued. “It’s almost like we got to start our life in a place where we have a lot of friends and a lot of great teammates and people in the organization who have become family in a pretty quick time, So it has been a very happy year.”
Love said “I feel comfortable” in Miami
Being a part of an organization for a long time like Love was with the Cavaliers, it's never a seamless and easy transition to move to a completely different place with the birth of a child in the horizon. However, Love uses the word “comfortable” when explaining how he is with Miami.
“I feel comfortable here as well as understanding what everyone, and I mean everybody, wants,” Love said via The Sun Sentinel. “And just being an absolutely bubbly guy and personality to be around. I think from that perspective, yes, I feel like I’m in a good spot.”
While he helps the Heat on another hopeful playoff run this season, he has now taken another opportunity as part of the veteran leadership of the team. This was an aspect that Kyle Lowry filled until he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier. Love talked about wanting to “embrace that leadership role” and help the young players, but also the established stars on the Heat.
“I certainly want to embrace that leadership role,” Love said. “Because I can kind of extend an olive branch and meet guys halfway and just relate to guys on different levels, whether they be Niko (Jovic) or be it Bam or be it Tyler (Herro) or Jimmy (Butler). There’s a way to get through to each guy that I do feel like I have the capability of doing.”
Erik Spoelstra calls Love “the connector of all connectors”
If there is someone who is a huge fan of Love, it's Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra who has been on record a numerous amount of times praising Love in embracing any type of role he gets, with the end goal being to win. He has called the veteran the “connector of all connectors.”
“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,” Spoelstra said earlier in the season. “And he’s really a star in that kind of role. He’s really important for our group because he’s the connector of all connectors. He’s really like our emotional leader.”
“He just wants to win at this stage of his career, he just wants to do whatever it takes, however he can help to get our team to win,” Spoelstra continued. “And there’s a karma to that if you’re pure with your intentions. And even at this stage, it’s a sacrifice. But 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.”
Love will be huge for the team down the stretch as they will start play back up after the All-Star break as their next contest is Friday, Feb. 23 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Heat are 30-25 on the season which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference.
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