Cavs welcome back Kevin Love with in-game tribute video

Love receives a standing ovation in his first game back to Cleveland in two years.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers champion Kevin Love made his long-awaited return to Cleveland two years after his tenure ended. Unsurprisingly, he received a heroes’ welcome on Wednesday in his return. The team played a tribute video for him that showcased his time in Cleveland and the role he played on the 2016 title team.

The crowd gave Love a standing ovation. Afterward, he walked onto the court and pointed to his ring finger as a reminder of what he and the 2016 team had accomplished.

Before the game, Love and former teammate Tristan Thompson made sure to give a big hug to Richard Jefferson, who is now calling the game for ESPN.

Love confirmed to Angel Gray of ESPN that if he does go into the Hall of Fame, it’ll be as a Cavalier. The place where he spent nine years of his career.

The Cavs brought Love to town with the idea of him being a part of a big three that included LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The first season wasn’t smooth sailing as he struggled to fit in within an offense where he was the third option. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to prove himself in the playoffs due to sustaining a shoulder injury in the first round against the Boston Celtics.

Love found his place the following season and went on to play a key role in Cleveland defeating the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals. This included staying in front of Steph Curry in the final minute of Game 7, the possession after Irving hit what would become the game-winning three.

The post-LeBron era got off to a rough start. The Cavs quickly transitioned to a rebuild which required Love to take on more of a mentorship role. This culminated in an impressive Sixth Man of the Year-worthy season in 2021-22 where he embraced a bench role to let rookie Evan Mobley flourish.

Love’s time in Cleveland didn’t end cleanly in 2023. He fell out of the rotation after a thumb injury. This led to him asking for a contract buyout shortly after that year’s trade deadline. Love went on to play a large role in the Miami Heat’s run to the NBA Finals that season.

Love was a big part of a championship team and saw the Cavs through to the core of the contending team that they have now. While it’s disappointing that he wasn’t able to stick around, that’s the business of basketball.

Still, Love will be remembered as one of the best players in franchise history. The warm reception he received was proof of that.