Kevin Love is still coming down from the high that comes with winning and NBA championship, but before the Cavaliers officially start their title defense, Love took some time out to reminisce about his time at UCLA.
For The Players’ Tribune, Love wrote about spending time with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, how sharp he was even in his 90s and how reading his book on the way to Chapel Hill cemented his decision to become a Bruin instead of a Tar Heel.
That decision, of course, led to him becoming teammates and roommates with Russell Westbrook. According to Love, the two competed in everything while on the road together, even the temperature of their hotel rooms.
Sometimes Russ could be a stubborn roommate. We butted heads because we were competitive about everything. We competed at video games. We played hundreds of hands of a card game called “13.” (I still maintain that I’m up by one point.) We showed up to the gym early (he was somehow always there before me) to lift, study film and get in some extra shooting.
We were even competitive over the temperature of the room.
You know the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Vivica’s character is sick in bed and Larry keeps adjusting the thermostat? That was me and Russ.
Our thermostat battles would go something like this….
“Minimum 74,” he’d say.
I needed the room cold. Around 68 was perfect.
At night, Russ would jump up from bed and turn the dial way up — and then five minutes later I would sneak over and turn it back down.
One time I offered a compromise — “How ‘bout 71 degrees?”
“Seventy-three,” Russ replied. “Final offer.”
Love finished the piece letting his fans know that he is giving back to UCLA, and he’ll have the new strength and conditioning center named after him. After reading the above passage, it’s hard not to wonder whether this is just another way Westbrook and Love are competing against each other.
Last season, Westbrook gave the largest donation by any former student-athlete and in turn, the school named the new basketball practice facility after him. Now, with Love an NBA champion, it’s up to Westbrook to exceed Love’s accomplishments.
