Kevin Love might have entered the league as a walking double-double in Minnesota, but if you ask him which team he’d rep in the Hall of Fame someday, he’s not hesitating. Not even for a second. It’s Ohio’s Cleveland Cavaliers. And according to Love, that choice comes with a whole lot of meaning.
According to CavaliersNation, “It would mean a lot,” he said when asked about the idea of getting his number retired by Cleveland. He didn’t stop there, either. “I mean, there’s so many historic names that are up there. Whether it’s obviously LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, those guys will go up there. But Nate Thurmond, Bingo Smith, Austin Carr, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Nance, there’s just so many names up there that it would truly be an honor to go up there.” Then came the line Cavs fans are probably already turning into a T-shirt. “And listen, if I were ever to make it and to go into the Hall of Fame, I would go in as a Cavalier, and I think that is, I take a lot of pride in that.” And honestly? You can see why. Kevin Lovwe would top this off by saying, “It would truly be an honor.”
Sure, Love’s individual numbers peaked during his six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Those were the days when he was putting up video game stats and grabbing rebounds like he had magnets in his hands. He made three All-Star teams in Minnesota, secured all his All-NBA honors there, and even earned MVP consideration. But for all the production, there was one glaring hole in his Wolves resume. Not a single playoff appearance. Six years, zero trips to the postseason. That’s a cloud that even the gaudiest stat lines can’t lift. Cleveland, though? That’s where the legacy was made.
Cleveland, Ohio, Loves Kevin Love!
Love didn’t come to the Cavs to be the alpha scorer. He didn’t need to. He became exactly what LeBron James and Kyrie Irving needed: an elite complementary star who could stretch the floor, crash the boards, and make defenses pay for collapsing on James. Over LeBron’s four-year second stint in Cleveland, Kevin Love averaged 17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while knocking down 37.7 percent of his threes. That’s not just productive. That’s championship-level glue guy stuff.
And speaking of championships, let’s not gloss over the biggest bullet point on Love’s Cavs resume. He was a key part of the team that delivered Cleveland, Ohio, its first NBA title in franchise history. That alone cements a bond that stat sheets can’t measure. Love, James, and Irving formed one of the most memorable trios of the era, even if it only lasted three seasons. When Kyrie left, Love still held things down alongside James for the 2017 18 run, which somehow still ended in the NBA Finals because LeBron was doing superhero things and Love was right there helping make it possible.
Ohio didn’t just give Kevin Love a ring. It gave him a legacy. That’s where the playoff memories are, that’s where the confetti fell. That’s where he became more than a numbers guy and grew into the kind of player who fans still talk about with a mix of affection and gratitude.
Kevin Love hasn’t hung up his sneakers yet. He’s currently suiting up for the Utah Jazz and has already appeared in six games in the 2025 26 season. The Hall of Fame isn’t knocking on the door quite yet. But when that day eventually comes, he’s already made it clear whose colors he’ll be wearing in Springfield. And honestly? For anyone who watched those four magical years in Cleveland, Ohio, it feels exactly right. Cavs fans already claimed him as one of their own. Now he’s claiming them right back.
