There is no doubt that the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the greatest teams in NBA history. They may not have been the best or most talented squad ever, but beating a Golden State Warriors team that had the best record of all time immortalized them in greatness.
If you just look at his numbers on the surface, you would think Kevin Love didn't contribute much to the championship. But the five-time All-Star was always the unsung hero of the entire run.
Entering Cleveland, Love was a dominant low post player who was coming off four consecutive seasons of averaging at least 18 points and 12 rebounds. However, when he got to the Cavs, he had to sacrifice many parts of his game to help the team.
He was never shy about letting it fly from three, but once got to Cleveland, his number of shot attempts expectedly plummeted. Now, playing next to two dominant ball handlers in Kyrie Irving and Lebron James, about half of his total shot attempts came from three.
Love also played next to Tristan Thompson in the frontcourt, so his rebounding numbers also dropped off significantly. It seems like nobody recognizes all the sacrifices he endured for the team to be successful, except for the Cavs.
The NBA Champion's new team, the Miami Heat, came to Cleveland on Wednesday night where Love was given a tribute video prior to the game. After the video, he was given a chance to speak to the fans and he announced that he will have his jersey number retired by the team.
This is the ultimate sign of respect for the ultimate team player who quietly spent almost as much time in Cleveland as James did in his career. The Cavaliers were viewed as a dysfunctional organization just a few years ago, and this is one of the many things they've done to help improve their image.
Love's career is in its twilight, so there's no telling how gas is left in the tank. But once he does finally call it quits, he'll forever be engrained in the fabric of Cavaliers history.
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 4:48 PM.