The Cleveland Cavaliers are already in dire straits in the NBA Finals, down 1-0 and possibly without star point guard Kyrie Irving going forward. On the margins, the specter of a possible Kevin Love free agency looms after only one tumultuous season. Love, long speculated to be Los Angeles-bound whenever possible, is trying to allay the Cavaliers' concerns for now.
Love expressed how much he enjoyed the atmosphere of the NBA Finals, even if he couldn't play in them, and said returning to Cleveland for a chance to play in this environment was his goal. "I've never wanted to be in a game more than that one," Love said. When asked to clarify if that meant he intends to remain a Cavalier, Love said "Yes. I want to win."
All year reports of strife with LeBron James surrounded Love, and his performance dipped drastically from when he was a leading man for the lottery-bound Timberwolves. Love denied being unhappy though, and blamed the media for perpetuating a non-existent story.
"It's just the way the world works now. People talk so much and might tell themselves a lie so much they start to believe it. From there, the narrative starts to change. I haven't changed my narrative. I'm going to keep supporting these guys, and we'll be talking to Cleveland after the season."
The Cavs likely wish they had him right now, as Irving looks like he will miss time during these Finals. After a big Game 1 he left in the waning moments with a knee injury and left the arena on crutches. This season Love's numbers were down, but he remained one of the NBA's most productive power forwards.
Love averaged 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, and 14.3 points and seven boards in his lone postseason series.
[ESPN]
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