Kevin Love opens his exceptional debut for The Players’ Tribune in wholly surprising fashion – by lauding Andrew Wiggins. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ superstar is similarly contrite, insightful, and forthcoming as his article unfolds, thanking the fans of Minnesota, expressing his relentless drive for a title, and detailing an eye-opening flight to Rio de Janeiro with his new team.
While Love mentions that much of the criticism he faced last season was unfair, he also offers regret for not properly thanking Minnesota Timberwolves faithful:
So I’d like to take a moment to thank the fans of Minnesota for six great years. I still remember sitting in Madison Square Garden when I was first drafted in 2008, thinking that if I could go anywhere it would be to the Timberwolves to work with one of my childhood idols, Kevin McHale. There are so many people in Minnesota who helped to shape my game and mold me into the player I am today. I’ll always be fond of going to Manny’s Steakhouse, and the support I got from the entire Minnesota community — even in tough times — is something I’ll remember forever. (Seriously, thanks for not burning my jersey, you guys.)
But the sharpshooting, rebound-hogging big man also says that he knew it was time to move on from Minny. He wants a championship above all else, and understood the ‘Wolves far from one upon his departure:
In the end, I was given the opportunity to move on, and I took it. My decision was about wanting to win. When I think back to being a kid shooting on an eight-foot hoop in my Shawn Kemp jersey, I never dreamed about putting up a triple-double or signing a max contract. I dreamed about holding up a championship trophy. In order to get to that place, I knew that I needed to move on.
The most interesting portion of Love’s piece was his description of the Cavs’ team flight to Rio de Janeiro for an exhibition against the Miami Heat. Instead of falling asleep, reading a book, or listening to music, Cleveland took the 12-hour trip as an opportunity to forge a bond. LeBron James even talked on-court strategy that serves as a metaphor for building team chemistry:
“We need to work until we get to a point on defense where we can close our eyes and know where the guy behind us is going to be,” LeBron said. “You have to be able to look at the man next to you as your brother; trust that he’s going to do his job. We have to become a family.”
There’s much more to glean from Love’s Players’ Tribune debut than included here. Its overarching theme, though, is plainly evident throughout – he wants a title. That’s all he cares about. And if that mentality proves true, comments like those Love recently made about wanting more touches will surely work themselves out.
What do you think?
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