Kevin Love fell out of the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation. It did not take long before the one-time NBA champ decided that it was time for him to go. This led to Love’s contract buyout with the Cavs, which now has him becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Love isn’t expected to remain in the market for very long. Several teams have already shown interest in the five-time All-Star, and he should find a new home sooner rather than later. Be that as it may, it is clear that he will be missed in Cleveland.
Cavs rising star Evan Mobley has now spoken out about Kevin Love’s departure. The second-year big man admitted that he’s definitely affected by Love’s exit, and the same is the case for the rest of the guys inside the locker room:
“It definitely hits you emotionally,” Mobley said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “… All the guys are going to miss him for sure, and I just hope he does great wherever he goes.”
Mobley had nothing but high praise for his now-former teammate. The 21-year-old described how Love had such a significant impact on the team as well as just how much value he brought to the table:
“He’s been great, a great leader,” Mobley said. “He’s always been a character in the locker room as well. All the guys on the team love him.
“His lightheartedness in the locker room definitely helps everybody and glues everybody together.”
Love is no longer the big-time superstar he once was. However, he does have a wealth of experience under his belt — something that he openly shared with his younger teammates as they all did their best to navigate through the season:
“Being in a championship environment for years is a big deal, and I feel like that holds weight for us,” Mobley said. “He definitely helped us … take things serious as we get to the end of the season and end of last season.
“He did a great job expressing that and showing that and teaching us that.”
Kevin Love spent the last nine years of his career in a Cavs uniform. He’s emerged as one of the team’s most loyal servants, and as Evan Mobley said, he will certainly be missed.