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Initially, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra looked mildly annoyed he couldn’t leave his pre-game press conference early following a delay in questions.
Spoelstra’s mood then brightened considerably. The topic: Heat forward Kevin Love and the value he has brought with both appearing in four NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and embracing a bench role for the past 1 ½ seasons in Miami.
“I could probably go on for about 20 minutes about K Love. Personally, I think you win championships with players like Kevin,” Spoelstra said. “He has a highly decorated career. He’s been able to do what many can’t or won’t in this league in terms of being a former All-Star, a former guy, a former face of the franchise. He’s transitioned into different roles and found a way to impact, in particular, impact winning. He’s done it with great grace.”
Nothing epitomizes that selfless touch more than how Love has embraced Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The two already share a connection after both starred at UCLA. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Love at No. 5 in the 2008 NBA Draft after leading the Bruins to a Final Four appearance in his freshman season. The Heat drafted Jaquez this year at No. 18 after excelling as a rare four-year player as the Bruins’ eighth all-time leading scorer while appearing in two Sweet 16s and one Final Four.
Beyond sharing collegiate ties, Jaquez also expressed appreciation for Love’s mentorship approach which involves offering constructive criticism, positive reinforcement, and respectful space.
“He is such a warming presence for us,” Jaquez said. “He’s cracking jokes and making everyone feel like family. So, kudos to him. I really like having him as a teammate.”
So does Love, whose locker sits next to Jaquez at Heat home games. Then, he doesn’t always share gems about his 17-year-NBA career that has included an NBA title (2016), four Finals runs (2015-18), and five All-Star appearances (2011-12, 2014, 2017). After all, Love has become impressed with Jaquez’s mature game. Among his rookie class, Jaquez ranks fourth in points per game (13.8) and second in minutes played (30.0). When the time calls for it, though, Love will often share some gems.
“I just tell him, ‘There comes a point as you’re going through the league that teams are going to scout you,’” Love told Sportskeeda. ‘Continue to do the little things and things that make a difference in the game.’ He’s exceeded expectations.”
Kevin Love talks about fitting into Heat culture and more
Love spoke to Sportskeeda about Jaquez, his recent bench role and LeBron James’ longevity. Love also shared a funny Kobe Bryant story involving him in the 2011 NBA All-Star game.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been condensed and edited
You posted on your IG about 2023 being ‘a year of great change.’ How have you adjusted with both being a new Dad and having a new role with the Heat?
Love: “It was taking everything in stride. It was a big life change with my wife being pregnant at the time and never having left a team in the middle of the season at the All-Star break. It completely changed the course of my career with another city, another team and getting familiar with everybody here in Miami. But everyone here couldn’t have been any more welcoming and positive. We made a special run to the Finals that obviously came up short. But I’m very proud of that group, and I really feel like I found a home here.”
In what ways have they made you feel welcome?
Love: “Coach Spo is a Portland guy, so we had that in common. My dad had played with Coach [Pat] Riley back in the early 70s with the Lakers, and so I had known him for a while. I had known Andy Elisburg [Heat GM] for a while. Between Kyle [Lowry], Bam [Adebayo], Tyler [Herro] and getting to know Jimmy [Butler] more and having a solid veteran place on this team is something special. This is a team that has welcomed me. It's a welcome change for me as well.”
There are interesting parallels with being on two contending teams in Cleveland and then Miami and then having to adapt to different roles on both. What are the similarities and differences for you?
Love:
“With the Miami Heat, you always know there is one thing on their mind. That’s championship-level basketball. That’s what I can really appreciate with stepping right into this. I was ready for that. It makes you fall in love with the game again and understand what’s really important. It brings everything into perspective. It makes you really accountable for each and every person on the team. That’s a beautiful thing. We have great, high-character integrity people on this team. We all want the same thing out of life. We have different personalities like you see all around the NBA. But it seems to fit because we have a certain ethos and culture here that is everybody’s North Star. We know what we’re working toward. It’s bigger than the singularity of one person.”
Given your success and All-Star credentials, what has it taken for you both to thrive and embrace a bench role in Miami and during the later years in Cleveland?
Love:
“That’s it. Embrace it. It starts by leading by example and using my voice because I’ve seen a lot and done a lot in this league. Transitioning into that role is a huge part of what you just mentioned – it’s embracing change. A lot of people would say it’s a lesser role. But it’s not less important. Everybody gets to write a verse in this. I’m in here trying to write mine, and have it be an important role.”
Bam Adebayo said he’s been asking you a lot about your Finals experiences in Cleveland. What do you share?
Love:
“The good and the bad, honestly. You can learn so much more from failure, from losses and from low points than you can from always winning. We did a lot of that my first four years there. But I then had to segue into a rebuild. We continued to get better with the team that was trending in the right way. I really got to help that locker room out and get it to a place where it is now in Cleveland and then left here and got to be myself. They embraced me with being unapologetically myself. I came at it from a super authentic standpoint. This is what you get.”
Jaime praised you for how you’re mentoring him. How have you taken on that role?
Love:
“When you have good guys, it makes it easy. He’s a great human being. It doesn’t feel like he’s 22 or 23 years old. Neither does his game. He’s made it easy. We have our lockers next to each other in Miami, and he’s been receptive to coaching and receptive to each and every one of us in here. He’s one of us. It makes sense. It’s a perfect fit for his game how he works and certainly who he is as a person as well.”
What feedback have you given him?
Love:
“Think of all the rookies, he certainly has been incredibly consistent. He’s right up there with [Chet] Holmgren. Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] has been in and out. But among those three, they’ve had a pretty remarkable rookie year. So for him, I just tell him there comes a point as you’re going through the league that teams are going to scout you. Continue to do the little things and things that make a difference in the game. He’s exceeded expectations. It’s not easy as a Heat rookie. I’m not comparing him. But you see guys like D-Wade [Dwyane Wade] and Tyler as a rookie as well. They all do different things. But Jaime has stepped right into a role where we’ve needed him to play heavy minutes. He’s done it exceptionally well.”
What’s your favorite ‘Heat Culture’ story?
Love: [laughs].
“I always look at things as an accumulation. There’s not one thing that sticks out to me. You are your habits. Your habits are what make you great. That’s what we breed here: great habits. We work. We grind. And the results speak for themselves.”
From the outside looking in, some roll their eyes at that. But I gather it’s a real thing?
Love:
“It is. It’s a word for everybody that triggers a number of things. But sometimes, it’s an unspoken language.”
Is 6th Man of the Year a goal?
Love:
“No. I just want to always be…..
Duncan Robinson interjects at a nearby locker: “the best version of yourself!”
Love: “….available and reliable!”
Robinson: “They say the best ability….”
Love: “….is availability. [Points to Duncan] “I only mess with Michigan men!”
What goes into being available and reliable?
Love:
“Work; taking care of your body. I watch Kyle do it, too. He lifts. He was riding up the elevator with his physical therapist today. He gets away from the game as well. He’s around his kid. He takes care of his mind. He’s in shape. He continues to chase the game. I think there’s a karma to it. Then good things happen.”
When you played with LeBron in Cleveland, what things did you see that explains his longevity?
Love:
“The consistency in work. He typically was the first guy there. He studies basketball. He was always around it. He spends an enormous amount of time and money to take care of his body. The results speak for themselves. But he’s singular in his longevity and playing until he’s 40 years old plus. He continues to work. People are at a loss. I certainly am with how he’s been able to do it for the length of time that he’s done it. He’s singular in that way. He’s one of one in being 21 years in and having done that.”
It's wild. Do you think you could ever play to 40?
Love: (laughs) “I wish. I don’t have that level of athleticism unless Ira tells me that I do.”
Ira Winderman, longtime beat writer for the South Florida Sun Sentinel: “14 rebounds; that’s the most you got in any game, ever, right? [tongue in cheek]
Love: “Any!” [Love posted a career-high 31 rebounds with Minnesota against New York on Nov. 12, 2010]
Adebayo [from nearby locker]: How many did he have today?
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald: “14.”
Love: “Well, he stole the last one!”
Winderman: “When he wrestled you for that one, I saw the look on your face…..”
Adebayo: “You see that!?”
Love: “I turned around and was like, ‘Oh sh---; it’s Bam!’ I knew he was going to say something!”
How about during the 2011 NBA All-Star game when Kobe [Bryant] took rebounds from you?
Love:
“That’s a great Kobe story for you. He said, ‘I’m going to be the MVP and I’m going to lead the game in rebounding.’ Dirk [Nowitzki] is sitting right next to me at the time. In his German accent, he said, “Hey K-Love, do you know what the crazy thing is? He’s the only guy that says he’s going to do that and then he’s going to do it!’ That was before the game started. Then he goes out and does it. There’s a picture of me hugging him. I’m hugging him and then smiling because he told me, “I told you mother----!”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
