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 with the Utah Jazz. A five-time All-Star, Love previously won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He has twice been named to the All-NBA Second Team. Love also represented the United States internationally, winning gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2011, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player, also leading the league in rebounding that year.
1982: Malone's Averages
Kevin Love became the first player to average at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a season since Moses Malone in the 1982–83 season.
1992: Olajuwon 15 Straight Double-Doubles
At the start of the season in January 2012, Kevin Love recorded 15 straight double-doubles, the first player to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon in the beginning of the 1992–93 NBA season.
2007: Garnett Traded
In 2007, Kevin Garnett was traded from the Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics, and Kevin Love later emerged as the new face of the franchise.
2007: Love Nominated to All-Pac-10 tournament team
In 2007, Kevin Love was nominated to the All-Pac-10 tournament team.
April 17, 2008: Declared for NBA Draft
On April 17, 2008, Kevin Love announced his intention to leave UCLA and enter the 2008 NBA draft.
2008: UCLA Bruins to Final Four
In 2008, Kevin Love helped 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 college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and led the team to a Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament. Love was drafted fifth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2008 NBA draft, and was immediately traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for O. J. Mayo and other players.
2008: Love stars in Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot documentary
In 2008, Kevin Love starred in the feature-length documentary "Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot."
2009: Love appears on NCAA Basketball 09 cover
In 2009, Kevin Love appeared on the front cover of the video game NCAA Basketball 09.
2009: Love joins Hoops for St. Jude charity program
In 2009, Kevin Love became the first NBA player to join the Hoops for St. Jude charity program, benefiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
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: Named to 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 recorded a "30–30" game, scoring 31 points and grabbing 31 rebounds against the New York Knicks.
2010: Double-Double Streak
During the 2010 NBA season, Love established the longest streak for consecutive games recording double figures in points and rebounds since the ABA–NBA merger.
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: First 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 endorsement contract 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 won the NBA Most Improved Player Award and led the league in rebounding.
January 2012: Three Consecutive 30-point games
In January 2012, Love scored 30 points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.
July 7, 2012: Love makes the Olympic team
On July 7, 2012, Kevin Love made the 2012 Olympic team.
October 17, 2012: Love sidelined with broken hand
On October 17, 2012, Kevin Love was reported to miss six to eight weeks due to breaking the third and fourth metacarpals on his right hand during a morning workout.
2012: Love invests in 12Society website
In 2012, Kevin Love became an investor in the lifestyle website 12Society.
2012: Love co-stars in Pepsi Max "Uncle Drew: Chapter 2" commercial
In 2012, Kevin Love co-starred in a PepsiCo internet advertising campaign for Pepsi Max, featuring the character "Uncle Drew" played by Kyrie Irving. He appeared in the "Uncle Drew: Chapter 2" commercial.
2012: Love appears in My Life As An NBA Rookie documentary
In 2012, Kevin Love was featured in the short documentary "My Life As An NBA Rookie."
2012: Gold Medal at Summer Olympics
In 2012, Kevin Love won a gold medal as a member of the United States national team at the Summer Olympics.
January 3, 2013: Love refractures shooting hand
On January 3, 2013, Kevin Love refractured his shooting hand during a game against the Denver Nuggets, requiring surgery and sidelining him for an additional eight to ten weeks. Prior to the second fracture, his shooting accuracy was down significantly, leading to speculation that he returned too quickly from his original injury.
2013: Love sets NBA record
In 2013–14, Kevin Love set an NBA record by becoming the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 100 3-pointers in a single season. He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time in his career.
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 over the Utah Jazz.
April 2, 2014: Love records third career triple double
On April 2, 2014, Kevin Love recorded his third career triple double with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 102–88 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
August 23, 2014: Love traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers
On August 23, 2014, Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade. As part of the deal, the Timberwolves received Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett from Cleveland, and Thaddeus Young from the Philadelphia 76ers.
2014: Trade to Cleveland Cavaliers
In 2014, after playing six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
June 24, 2015: Love opts out of contract
On June 24, 2015, Kevin Love chose to opt out of the final year of his contract worth $16.7 million in 2015–16 and became a free agent.
July 9, 2015: Love re-signs with the Cavaliers
On July 9, 2015, Kevin Love re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, securing a five-year contract worth $110 million.
November 23, 2015: Love scores season-high 34 points
On November 23, 2015, Kevin Love scored a season-high 34 points, with 27 of those points occurring in the first half, during the Cavaliers' 117–103 victory over the Orlando Magic.
2015: Unrestricted Free Agent
The four-year contract extension between Love and the Timberwolves was signed on January 25, allowing Love to become an unrestricted free agent as early as 2015.
September 2016: Love donates to UCLA Athletics
In September 2016, Kevin Love donated $1 million to UCLA Athletics, matching a gift by Russell Westbrook, to fund the construction of the Mo Ostin Basketball Center.
October 25, 2016: Love scores 23 points after receiving championship ring
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 becomes Banana Republic Style Ambassador
In 2016, Kevin Love became the new style ambassador and campaign model for Banana Republic.
2016: NBA Champion with Cleveland Cavaliers
In 2016, Kevin Love won an NBA championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
January 26, 2017: Love named All-Star reserve
On January 26, 2017, Kevin Love was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
February 14, 2017: Love undergoes knee surgery and is ruled out of All-Star Game
On February 14, 2017, Kevin Love underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee and was ruled out for approximately six weeks, causing him to miss the All-Star Game.
October 17, 2017: Love scores 15 points in season opener
On October 17, 2017, Kevin Love scored 15 points in the Cavaliers' season opener, contributing to a 102–99 win over the Boston Celtics. He hit a crucial 3-pointer with 46.3 seconds left, putting Cleveland ahead 102–98.
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, scoring 32 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 124–119 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
November 28, 2017: Love scores 38 points against Miami Heat
On November 28, 2017, Kevin Love scored 38 points, with 32 of them in the first half, during 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 scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed a season-best 18 rebounds in a 99–92 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
January 30, 2018: Love fractures hand against Pistons
On January 30, 2018, Kevin Love left the Cavaliers' game against the Detroit Pistons with a fracture in his left hand, causing him to miss six weeks.
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 contract extension with Cavaliers
On July 24, 2018, Kevin Love signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Cavaliers.
August 2018: Love advocates for mental health awareness and commits to forming a foundation
In August 2018, Kevin Love continued his advocacy for mental health awareness, discussing his family's history of depression and committing to forming a foundation focused on mental health, particularly for young boys.
2018: Love establishes the Kevin Love Fund
In 2018, Kevin Love established the Kevin Love Fund to improve physical and emotional well-being, with the goal of assisting over 1 billion people in five years. Early beneficiaries included programs for high school students and the UCLA Athletics Department.
2018: Theatrical release of Uncle Drew movie
In 2018, the movie Uncle Drew was released theatrically.
February 8, 2019: Love returns to action after foot surgery
On February 8, 2019, Kevin Love returned to action after missing 50 games due to foot surgery. He played the first six minutes against the Washington Wizards, scoring four points, before not returning to the game.
March 12, 2020: Love's fund donates to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse support 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. Andre Drummond added an additional $60,000.
April 26, 2020: The Kevin Love Fund provides 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 COVID-19 testing sites, with Love personally thanking the healthcare workers via FaceTime.
June 22, 2020: Love announces $500,000 pledge to UCLA psychology department
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 and 14 rebounds
On May 12, 2021, Kevin Love achieved his fifth double-double of the season, recording a season-high 30 points and 14 rebounds in a 102–94 victory over the Boston Celtics, which ended the Cavaliers' 11-game losing streak.
2021: Reserve Role with Cavaliers
In 2021, Kevin Love transitioned to a reserve role with the Cleveland Cavaliers, eventually finishing as runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
December 31, 2021: Love has highest-scoring game in over four seasons
On December 31, 2021, Kevin Love scored 35 points against the Atlanta Hawks, marking his highest-scoring game in over four seasons. He shot 10-for-18 from the field, including 7-for-14 on 3-pointers.
February 2023: Joined 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 agrees to contract buyout with Cavaliers
On February 18, 2023, Kevin Love and the Cavaliers officially agreed to a contract buyout, making him a free agent. He averaged 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists before the buyout.
February 20, 2023: Love signs with the 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 contract for $7.9 million, including a player option for the second year.
2023: Love plans to retire with the Cavaliers
In 2023, Kevin Love announced his plan to return to Cleveland before retiring, stating his openness to retiring with the Cavaliers.
June 30, 2024: Love declines player option and re-signs with the Heat
On June 30, 2024, Kevin Love declined his player option with the Miami Heat. One week later, he re-signed with the team for two years at $8 million.
September 2024: Tristan Thompson re-signs with the Cavaliers
In September 2024, Tristan Thompson, who was previously on the 2015-16 Cavaliers championship team with Kevin Love, re-signed with the team.
July 7, 2025: Love traded to Utah Jazz
On July 7, 2025, Kevin Love was traded to the Utah Jazz in a three-team transaction involving the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers.
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