Since joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, All-Star forward Kevin Love has become the proverbial punching bag for criticism anytime the team goes through a tough stretch of the season or falls short in the playoffs. This has continued to remain the case even after he helped the franchise win its first NBA title.
Love was once again the butt of a joke in a recent tweet by Barstool Sports attempting to single him out as struggling to fit into the mix with his teammates. The 29-year-old wasted little time in responding back to the criticism in a huge way by showing off his championship ring.
For as much slack as Love catches from his critics, he has been an instrumental part of the Cavs’ success. He has been a dependable contributor on a nightly basis averaging a double-double in his four seasons in Cleveland with 17.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Love is in the midst another highly-productive campaign, averaging 17.9 points on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 40.4 percent from beyond the arc with 9.4 rebounds per game — numbers that earned him his fifth All-Star Game nod.
He has more than proven to be a valuable asset on the floor that has been one of the centerpieces of the team. Love has been able to do this despite the constant trade chatter that has surrounded him over much of his tenure with the Cavs. It hasn’t deterred him from being a major offensive factor on the floor and positively impacting his team.
The fact that he was able to clap back at his critics with his championship ring gives them no room to respond in any manner as he was a major part of a championship-winning team. That said, this likely won’t be the last of the banter sent Love’s way this season and beyond that. This instance was just an opportunity for him to finally get back at his naysayers.