Kevin Love had an epic reaction to LeBron James‘ message to Luka Doncic before his Los Angeles Lakers debut, bringing back memories of his own time in Cleveland with James.
Love, who played alongside LeBron during his second stint with the Cavaliers, took to social media to react to LeBron’s words of encouragement to Doncic in the pre-game huddle. James had fired up his new teammate by telling him, “Luka, be your f**ing self. Don’t fit in, fit the f**k out. Be yourself.”
Love couldn’t help but poke fun at the situation, posting, “Punching the air right now!!! Just my thoughts #10yearslaterstillahater #LeHurtMyFeelings.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:DF7KicXOL57
Along with his reaction, Love also resurfaced an infamous tweet from LeBron in 2015, which had a much different tone. During those early Cleveland years, James had tweeted, “Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be a part of something special! Just my thoughts.”
The contrast between James’ messages to his former and current teammates was impossible to ignore. When James first returned to Cleveland in 2014, Love was seen as the third star alongside James and Kyrie Irving. However, there were early struggles with chemistry, and Love often seemed like an awkward fit within the system.
LeBron’s 2015 tweet was widely believed to be a shot at Love, urging him to adapt and fit within the team rather than trying to establish his own identity separately. A decade later, James is now telling Luka Doncic the exact opposite—essentially giving him full permission to take over rather than worrying about blending in.
While Love’s response was all in good fun, it highlighted an interesting shift in LeBron’s leadership style over the years. In Cleveland, James wanted Love to sacrifice parts of his game to help the team succeed. With the Lakers, he’s embracing Doncic’s individuality and encouraging him to be his dominant self right from the start.
The situations are obviously different, as Doncic is already an established superstar and not a third option like Love was back in the day, but it’s still an amusing contrast.
Doncic, making his Lakers debut against the Utah Jazz, had a solid performance in a dominant 132-113 win. He finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, showing glimpses of the elite offensive talent that made him such a coveted trade acquisition. LeBron, meanwhile, led the team with 24 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. Austin Reaves also played a key role, contributing 22 points and 9 rebounds.
As Love continues his career in Miami, he’s clearly enjoying the opportunity to troll his former teammate from afar. While he and LeBron won a championship together in 2016, their early struggles in Cleveland are well-documented. Now, with Luka Doncic stepping into a new role in Los Angeles, it’s safe to say that James has evolved in how he welcomes new stars to his team.
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