Kevin Love finally returned to Cleveland to play his first game against his beloved former club on Wednesday evening, and her certainly felt the love from the stands. Now with the Heat, two years had past since the veteran was available to play a game in Ohio, and the fans proved they haven’t forgotten him.
After nine-long season with the Cavaliers, Kevin is hard to forget. The 36-year-old was a fundamental factor in the squad that conquered the 2016 NBA title, which was the first major sports title for the city since 1964. As coach J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t using him back in 2023, he opted for a buyout to sign a deal in Miami.
The five-time All-Star not only received a video tribute during the first quarter, but was welcomed initially by a roaring ovation from the crowd. Love decided to salute them back by pointing to his ring finger, insinuating that he appreciates the warmth, but he’s married to the Heat now.
After Cleveland’s win, he thanked the home fans. “It was certainly emotional,” Kevin admitted. “My wife and I had talked about it last night and today. Cleveland and Ohio and this organization will always mean a lot to me. I’ll always come back. … Just a lot of love for so many people here.”
He then added: “All the way from the training staff to the players, to the organization, front office, ownership, fans, the locker room attendants, all the security guards, people that work the garage here. Just so much love for so many that’ll just keep me coming back. I just can’t say enough good things about overall the fans here, but the people here as well.”
Right before the start of last night’s game, the Miami veteran caught up with Richard Jefferson, who was his former Cavs teammate and now is part of the ESPN broadcast team. Aside from him, he was seen talking to many of Cleveland staff and players.
“He’s a special dude,” said Max Strus, who also shared a locker room with Love. “I was lucky to cross paths with him in my career. It was cool to see them honor him like that. He deserves all of it.”
