Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kevin Love

How Kevin Love built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Kevin Love is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Utah Jazz. A five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Second Team member, he won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He has also earned gold medals representing the United States in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Love was named the NBA Most Improved Player in 2011 and led the NBA in rebounding that same year, highlighting his successful career.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1992: Olajuwon's Double Doubles

Kevin Love began the season recording 15 straight double-doubles, the first player to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon in the beginning of the 1992–93 NBA season.

2007: Kevin Garnett Trade

After Kevin Garnett was traded from the Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics in 2007, Kevin Love emerged as the new face of the franchise.

April 17, 2008: NBA Draft Announcement

On April 17, 2008, Kevin Love announced his intention to leave UCLA to enter the 2008 NBA draft.

2008: Pac-10 Champion & Final Four Appearance

In 2008, Kevin Love guided UCLA to the regular season Pac-10 conference championship, the conference tournament championship, and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, reaching the Final Four.

2008: NBA Draft and Trade to Timberwolves

In 2008, Kevin Love played for UCLA, leading them to the Final Four. He then entered the NBA draft and was selected fifth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, who traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for O.J. Mayo and others.

2008: Love stars in "Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot"

In 2008, Kevin Love was one of the stars in the feature length documentary Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot.

Loading Video...

December 4, 2009: Return from Injury

On December 4, 2009, Kevin Love returned from a hand injury against the New Orleans Hornets.

2009: Love on NCAA Basketball 09 cover

In 2009, Kevin Love appeared on the front cover of the video game NCAA Basketball 09.

2009: USA National Team Mini-Camp

In 2009, Kevin Love was invited to participate in the USA National Team mini-camp in Las Vegas.

2009: NBA All-Rookie Second Team

In 2009, Kevin Love was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting.

November 12, 2010: 30-30 Game

On November 12, 2010, Kevin Love became the 19th player to record a "30–30" game, with 31 points and 31 rebounds against the New York Knicks. His 31 rebounds set a Timberwolves franchise record.

2010: Consecutive Games Recording Double Figures

During the 2010–11 season, Kevin Love established the longest streak for consecutive games recording double figures in points and rebounds since the ABA–NBA merger.

2010: Twitter Announcement of Coaching Change

In 2009 (reported in 2010), Kevin Love used his Twitter account to break the news that Kevin McHale would not return to coach the Timberwolves for the 2009–2010 season.

2010: Gold Medal at FIBA World Championship

In 2010, Kevin Love was a member of the United States national team that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship.

February 4, 2011: NBA All-Star Selection

On February 4, 2011, Kevin Love was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game as a replacement for the injured Yao Ming.

2011: Love signs with 361 Degrees

In 2011, Kevin Love signed a 6-year endorsement contract with the Chinese shoe company 361 Degrees.

2011: NBA Most Improved Player Award

In 2011, Kevin Love was awarded the NBA Most Improved Player Award and led the league in rebounding.

January 2012: Consecutive 30-Point Games

In January 2012, Kevin Love scored 30 points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.

July 7, 2012: Love makes 2012 Olympic team

On July 7, 2012, Kevin Love was selected to join the 2012 Olympic team.

2012: Love invests in 12Society

In 2012, Kevin Love became an investor in the lifestyle website 12Society.

2012: Love stars in Uncle Drew Commercials

In 2012, Kevin Love co-starred in an internet advertising campaign by PepsiCo for Pepsi Max, featuring the character "Uncle Drew" played by Kyrie Irving. The first commercial was wildly popular on YouTube. Kevin Love also co-starred in "Uncle Drew: Chapter 2" later that year.

2012: Love appears in "My Life As An NBA Rookie"

In 2012, Kevin Love was featured in the short documentary My Life As An NBA Rookie.

Loading Video...

2012: Gold Medal at Summer Olympics

In 2012, Kevin Love won a gold medal as part of the United States national team at the Summer Olympics.

February 22, 2014: Love Records First Career Triple Double

On February 22, 2014, Kevin Love achieved his first career triple-double, scoring 37 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and making a career-high 10 assists in a 121–104 victory against the Utah Jazz.

April 2, 2014: Love Records Third Career Triple Double

On April 2, 2014, Kevin Love achieved his third career triple-double, scoring 24 points, securing 16 rebounds, and making 10 assists in a 102–88 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.

August 23, 2014: Love Traded to Cleveland Cavaliers

On August 23, 2014, Kevin Love was traded by the Timberwolves to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team trade. The Timberwolves received Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett from Cleveland, and Thaddeus Young from the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Philadelphia 76ers received Luc Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved from Minnesota and a 2015 first-round draft pick from Cleveland.

2014: Trade to Cleveland Cavaliers

In 2014, after playing six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

February 8, 2015: Love Scores Season-High 32 Points

On February 8, 2015, Kevin Love scored a season-high 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting in a 120–105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

June 24, 2015: Love Opts Out of Contract with Cavaliers

On June 24, 2015, Kevin Love chose to opt out of the final year of his contract, valued at $16.7 million for the 2015–16 season, to become a free agent.

July 9, 2015: Love Re-Signs with Cavaliers

On July 9, 2015, Kevin Love re-signed with the Cavaliers, securing a five-year contract worth $110 million.

November 23, 2015: Love Scores Season-High 34 Points Against Magic

On November 23, 2015, Kevin Love scored 27 of his season-high 34 points in the first half of the Cavaliers' 117–103 win over the Orlando Magic.

2015: Free Agency

In 2015, Kevin Love was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

October 25, 2016: Love Receives Championship Ring and Scores 23 Points

On October 25, 2016, after receiving his first championship ring before the season opener, Kevin Love recorded 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 117–88 win over the New York Knicks.

2016: Love is style ambassador for Banana Republic

In 2016, Kevin Love became the new style ambassador and campaign model for Banana Republic.

2016: NBA Championship with Cleveland Cavaliers

In 2016, Kevin Love won an NBA championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

January 26, 2017: Love Named Eastern Conference All-Star Reserve

On January 26, 2017, Kevin Love was selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.

October 17, 2017: Love Scores 15 Points in Season Opener Win

On October 17, 2017, in the Cavaliers' season opener, Kevin Love scored 15 points, including a critical 3-pointer, in a 102–99 win over the Boston Celtics.

November 7, 2017: Love Has Season-Best Game with 32 Points and 16 Rebounds

On November 7, 2017, Kevin Love had a then season-best game with 32 points and 16 rebounds in a 124–119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

November 28, 2017: Love Scores 38 Points Against Heat

On November 28, 2017, Kevin Love scored 32 of his 38 points in the first half of the Cavaliers' 108–97 win over the Miami Heat. He scored 22 points in the first quarter.

December 25, 2017: Love Scores Game-High 31 Points in Loss to Warriors

On December 25, 2017, Kevin Love had a game-high 31 points and a season-best 18 rebounds in a 99–92 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

April 1, 2018: Love Records 400th Career Double-Double

On April 1, 2018, Kevin Love recorded his 400th career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds in a 98–87 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

July 24, 2018: Love Signs Four-Year Extension with Cavaliers

On July 24, 2018, Kevin Love committed to the Cleveland Cavaliers long-term, signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension.

August 2018: Love Advocates for Mental Health Awareness

In August 2018, Kevin Love continued his advocacy for mental health awareness, discussing his family's history of depression and his own struggles with anxiety. He committed to forming a foundation focused on mental health.

2018: Uncle Drew movie released

Theatrical movie Uncle Drew was released in 2018. The movie was based on Uncle Drew commercial series which featured Kevin Love in 2012. Kevin Love was not part of the production of the movie.

Loading Video...

February 8, 2019: Love Returns to Action After Foot Injury

On February 8, 2019, Kevin Love returned to the court after missing 50 games due to an injured left foot, starting against the Washington Wizards and scoring four points in six minutes before not returning to the game.

March 12, 2020: Love Donates to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Staff

On March 12, 2020, Kevin Love's fund donated $100,000 to the support staff of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse who were unable to work during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. He was joined by Andre Drummond who donated an additional $60,000.

April 26, 2020: Love sends lunches to Cleveland Clinic staff

On April 26, 2020, The Kevin Love Fund sent lunches to the staff of the Cleveland Clinic's Medical Intensive Care Unit and its COVID-19 testing sites, and Kevin Love thanked the healthcare workers via FaceTime.

June 22, 2020: Love Pledges $500,000 to UCLA

On June 22, 2020, Kevin Love announced that his fund was pledging $500,000, matched by the UCLA Centennial Term Chair Match, to establish the Kevin Love Fund Chair in UCLA's psychology department.

May 12, 2021: Love Logs Season-High 30 Points

On May 12, 2021, Kevin Love achieved his fifth double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 30 points and securing 14 rebounds in a 102–94 win over the Boston Celtics, ending the Cavaliers' 11-game losing streak.

December 31, 2021: Love Scores 35 Points Against Hawks

On December 31, 2021, Kevin Love scored 35 points against the Atlanta Hawks on 10-for-18 shooting, including 7-for-14 on 3-pointers, marking his highest-scoring game in over four seasons.

February 2023: Joins Miami Heat

In February 2023, after reaching a contract buyout agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love joined the Miami Heat.

February 18, 2023: Love and Cavaliers Agree to Contract Buyout

On February 18, 2023, Kevin Love and the Cavaliers reached a mutual agreement for a contract buyout, making him a free agent. At the time of the buyout, his averages were 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.

February 20, 2023: Love signs with Miami Heat

On February 20, 2023, Kevin Love signed with the Miami Heat.

July 6, 2023: Love re-signs with the Heat

On July 6, 2023, Kevin Love re-signed with the Miami Heat on a two-year, $7.9 million contract, which included a player option for the second year.

June 30, 2024: Love Declines Player Option, Re-signs with Miami Heat

On June 30, 2024, Kevin Love declined his player option with the Miami Heat, but re-signed with the team on a two-year, $8 million contract a week later.

September 2024: Tristan Thompson Re-signs with Cavaliers

In September 2024, Tristan Thompson, who was previously a member of the 2015-16 championship team alongside Kevin Love, re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers after a brief departure.

July 7, 2025: Love Traded to Utah Jazz

On July 7, 2025, Kevin Love was traded to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team deal involving the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Utah Jazz. The trade also involved Kyle Anderson, Norman Powell, and John Collins.