Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love has seen an interesting career graph. After building his reputation as a star-caliber power forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love gradually became a vital player for the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ championship roster alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving before essentially becoming a role player for the Miami Heat and the Jazz.
Over his 18 years in the NBA, Love has experienced playing on competitive rosters alongside some immensely talented players. This only came to light during a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Ashley Nicole Moss when the veteran was asked to name his all-time starting five, comprising his former teammates.
“I’ll say Kyrie Irving,” Love began. “Jimmy Butler. Myself. LeBron James. Bam Adebayo.”
It goes without saying that this roster is stacked. Between Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, LeBron James, and Bam Adebayo, the starting lineup already features a combined 45 All-Star appearances and 31 All-NBA selections.
When asked how this team would fare in the regular season, Love responded:
“I’m going to say 65-17… You’ve got to factor in games missed, the cap; there are a lot of things that I have to consider with it. So, you know, load management.”
Love may have taken a more conservative approach with his response. Given the talent within the lineup, it is safe to assume the team would have enjoyed much more success than this.
Kevin Love’s starting lineup is nothing short of elite. While the shooting depth is lacking, the lineup boasts tremendous offensive firepower, playmaking ability, and defensive upside.
While Love has had the experience of playing alongside some terrific point guards, none come close to Kyrie Irving. When healthy, Irving has routinely proven himself to be one of the most creative and effective players the NBA has ever seen.
For his career, Irving averages 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Given that Kevin Love had the opportunity to play alongside the nine-time All-Star when he was arguably at the peak of his powers, the selection makes sense.
Choosing Jimmy Butler may seem interesting to some, but during the time Love spent with the Miami Heat, Butler was incredible. Over his six-year stint with the Heat, Butler largely came alive only in time for the playoffs. However, with averages of 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, he knew how to impact winning.
LeBron James’ selection seems inevitable for obvious reasons. With all his records and achievements, James is arguably the greatest player in NBA history. With career averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, along with incredible longevity to boot, James was undoubtedly the best player Kevin Love played with.
For his center, Kevin Love makes an interesting choice by selecting Bam Adebayo. For the most part, this is understandable. With five All-Defensive selections and averages of 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for his career, the Heat superstar is a reliable pick.
Adebayo has proven himself to be an elite two-way player with immense talent, having broken Kobe Bryant’s single-game scoring record this season, too. While Love has played alongside players like Andre Drummond and Evan Mobley, it is worth noting that he played alongside Adebayo as he was entering his prime. On that note, the selection seems justified.
For the most part, Kevin Love selecting himself may come across as a gag. But considering that he averages 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 36.9% from three-point range, he is as solid a pick as any.
