The legendary LeBron James has won four NBA championships during his career. However, his first and only ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he first rose to prominence, came during his second stint with the franchise in 2016.
Alongside him was the now 37-year-old Kevin Love, who, like James, at 40, is firmly in the twilight of his career. Love only recently celebrated his birthday on Sunday, September 7. And it seems as if the two continue to remain close even years after being teammates for the Cavs.
“THE BEST EVER!!!!!” James wrote on his Instagram story in response to a post from the official NBA Instagram account. The original post had invited fans to wish Love on his birthday.
“Join us in wishing @kevinlove a HAPPY 37th BIRTHDAY!” it said. Love, who is set to enter the 18th season of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz next campaign, spent close to a decade with the Cavs. He arrived from the Minnesota Timberwolves back in August 2014 to form a big 3 alongside LeBron and Kyrie Irving.
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The Cavaliers went on to qualify for four straight NBA Finals, although Love missed the 2015 Finals due to a shoulder dislocation. During this time, the Cavs would go on to form the most entertaining NBA rivalry of the 2010s against the Golden State Warriors, eventually winning a title in 2016.
That has proved to be his only championship thus far. Kevin Love averaged 15.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists during his nine seasons with the Cavs, emerging as one of the best shooters in the league during this stretch. He converted 37.6% of his three-point attempts during this time.
The player would outlast both Irving and James at the franchise, eventually leaving in February 2023 after agreeing to a buyout with the franchise. Since then, he has continued to produce solid NBA seasons, joining the Miami Heat before eventually signing with the Utah Jazz earlier this year, in July.
