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Kevin Wesley Love is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. He has also represented the United States as a basketball player for the United States national basketball team and has played professionally for the Minnesota Timberwolves before joining the Cavaliers.
While Love is listed as a power forward and is a strong rebounder, his ability to shoot the basketball from the perimeter makes him a versatile threat capable of impacting the game from well outside of the paint. That versatility has made him a valuable commodity on the floor in his career.
Kevin Love started his basketball career at Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. During his four-year run with the Lake Oswego Lakers, Love was named the Gatorade male high school athlete of the year and earned praise as a five-star recruit.
He was the all-time leading scorer in the history of Oregon boys high school basketball when he was done with high school, with Love choosing to go to UCLA for his college basketball.
Love spent one season at UCLA and made the most of that season by securing first-team All-American honors and being named the Pac-10 player of the year in his freshman season. Scoring and rebounding with ease, Love averaged a double-double in his lone season as a Bruin, averaging 17.5 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per contest along the way.
UCLA reached the Final Four in Love’s lone season with the team, losing to the Memphis Tigers upon reaching the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament. Memphis had not lost a game to that point in the season, before losing in the championship game to eventual winners Kansas. After the season, Love announced that he would be entering the NBA Draft, where he was considered one of the top prospects entering the pros in 2008.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Kevin Love with the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Love was involved in an NBA Draft day trade between the Wolves and Memphis Grizzlies, where the Wolves sent third overall pick OJ Mayo to Memphis in exchange for Love. With Love being a five-time All-Star in his career, the Timberwolves got the better of that trade when all was said and done.
The NBA debut for Kevin Love came in 2008 when he took the floor against the Sacramento Kings. In that game, he scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds, coming up one board short of the first of the many double-doubles he would become known for. He ended his rookie season with 29 double-doubles, earning his way to the NBA all-rookie second team and finishing sixth in rookie of the year voting.
After his rookie campaign, Love went on a five year run of averaging a double-double as the main threat for the Wolves. He was named an NBA All-Star Game participant in three of those years, highlighted by a 2013-2014 season where he averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He also finished sixth in MVP voting in 2012, after averaging 26 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. After the 2014 season, he was sent to Cleveland in a trade to join LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Love’s career has been highlighted by the ability to play in big games both in the NBA playoffs and for the US national team. He won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, making key plays alongside LeBron James to help defeat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Love also helped the United States win the Olympic gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics and in the 2010 FIBA world championship.
After LeBron and Kyrie left the Cavaliers following the 2017-2018 season, with LeBron joining the Los Angeles Lakers and Kyrie going to the Boston Celtics, Love remained in Cleveland.
Kevin Love signed a four-year, $120 million deal with Cleveland in 2018 to remain with the team after the rest of their big three left the squad. Love has earned over $146 million in his NBA career, with another $120 million set to be added to that over the next four seasons. He has an estimated net worth of $50 million, thanks in large part to his career salary in the NBA.
Love has racked up endorsements from companies such as State Farm, Nike and Banana Republic. He is also a prominent spokesman for chocolate milk, along with Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
Love was born in Santa Monica, California as the son of Karen and Stan Love. He has a brother named Collin and a sister named Emily. He has been dating Kate Bock, a model from Canada, since 2015.
Kevin Love has been an advocate for mental health awareness in the NBA, speaking openly about his history with depression after DeMar DeRozan did the same. He has helped lead the charge surrounding mental health awareness not just in pro basketball, but around the world of sports.
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