Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has a message for Cavs All-Star forward Kevin Love: play like an “A-hole.”
The Cavs want to see the best in Love this year as he takes over as the team’s leading man, and Lue believes Love needs to show some attitude to truly unleash his game.
“He’s like, ‘You always play better when you are an A-hole,'” Love told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “You know how he talks. He just said that and has a funny way of bringing people in and making them more comfortable.”
Lue could be on to something with Love. For the last few years, Love has deferred to the likes of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Now, he’s the guy that needs to assert himself if the Cavs are going to surprise the masses and contend for a playoff spot.
Sometimes, Love is going to need to be an “A-hole” in order for the Cavs to be at their very best. Whether that is directed at the opposing team or used as motivation to take control of the offense will depend on the night, but it’s certain that Love needs to step up in a major way for a team that is in the midst of a transitional period.
The team is drastically different without LeBron. But rather than committing to a full rebuild, the front office decided to invest in Love and try to put out a playoff team. Now, it’s up to Love to live up to his contract and be the “A-hole” that Lue and the city of Cleveland need.