Musings on Kevin Love as he officially leaves UCLA

by antipimp on May 26, 2008 7:19 PM PDT Comment 21 comments

Bumped. Wanted to make sure more folks got to read this excellent take that went up over the long weekend. GO BRUINS. -N

Really quick update here: I just read more closely, and realized that there was a mistake in my initial post. Nestor rightfully made this a small point, because it was inevitable, and I had missed it. Sorry, N.

It's not mentioned in his daily Bruin Walk post, so I have to assume Nestor is already writing a dedicated post about today's news reported in the Daily News that Kevin Love is hiring an agent and it is therefore about to become official that he is leaving.

Don't get me wrong, I like Kevin Love a lot, but I can't really bring myself to be all that sad about this.

When the season ended and it just came down to the waiting game until he announced that he would put his name in the draft, my biggest concern was that the basketball team did not have a proven center next year. Unless Drew Gordon proved to be a major phenom - and in the few minutes of his high school basketball career I had seen, consisting of him confronting an opposing player after a foul and the two receiving off-setting technical fouls, I wasn't optimistic about that - there was going to be a big void left in the middle, and it was going to require that UCLA play a significantly different type of game next year. (I had faith that Ben Howland would adjust and that we would still be competitive, but the streak of Final Four caliber teams seemed to be in danger.)

The fact that the article I linked above isn't just about Kevin Love, but is a shared article about the fact that our next center has magically appeared out of thin air and we appear to have found an adequate replacement in J'Mison Morgan, means that I can say that I'm not worried about the center position anymore, and I've realized that this means that I can say good bye to Kevin Love without really feeling like UCLA is going to miss him.

The thing is, UCLA made the Final Four before Kevin Love was here, and we have as good a chance to make it again next year without him as any other team in the country, from what I can tell. Really, then, there is no Kevin Love legacy to speak of. He was an affable big man who came down from Oregon, spent a year waiting out his NBA-imposed delay for eligibility, spent some time talking to John Wooden and hanging out in Los Angeles, and now he's gone. Yes, there are some happy memories of things he did in games, and it was an impressive year, but UCLA is no better or worse off now than it was before he announced that he would attend, as far as I can tell.

I have to say, I do have a couple of small bones of contention I could pick up, which occurred to me in the wake of the comments made by Kevin's dad on a sports radio show in the past week. Thinking about "promises" that Ben Howland may or may not have made to a kid who ended up being an All-American and winning the Pac-10 POY award, I remember - even if I can't seem to be able to word a search query that will help me find the link for it - a mini-controversy earlier in the season when Howland seemed to be calling out Kevin Love for being out of shape. Kevin seemed to be a little upset at the insinuation at the time. Now, with the draft approaching, I have seen Kevin Love saying he has dropped several pounds and is in the shape he needs to be in order to do some things that are going to surprise the NBA scouts when he's going through draft try-outs. If his dad is going to say that Kevin Love wasn't able to showcase the talents he had, I think it's only fair to put it on the record that Kevin Love did not put himself in the position until it was too late for Howland to showcase some of those particular talents. Kevin Love had a year to goof off and play some college basketball, it appears, and waited until that year was over to get serious about getting ready for the next level. Given how phenomenal some of the things he did in Westwood were, I'm left with a regret that we didn't get to see Kevin Love's best effort, and wish that somehow in challenging Kevin to get into better shape, as he tried to do, Howland had been able to speed that process.

Before it seems like I'm complaining too much, I should say that I've defended Kevin Love's right to go to the NBA in several conversations with friends. Kevin Love does not owe us anything because he put on the UCLA jersey and played for our team. I had fun watching him play, and wish him all the best.

And perhaps the best thing in all of this is that there are other UCLA players who set an example that make them easier to love as UCLA fans than Kevin Love is. Perhaps in another sport, it would be easy to say that Kevin Love had to go pro now, because the owners are trying to limit rookie salaries and it would be a matter of losing millions of dollars if he had stayed in college for another year and worked to bring that championship he said that he wanted to win with UCLA.

So I choose to save my love for a player like Darren Collison, who in this interview may have become my favorite player in the Ben Howland era. This is a guy who never complained in his freshman year when he felt that he was not getting the playing time he deserved behind Jordan Farmar, led the team after Farmar left, and then decided to stay for his senior year despite the fact that he was hearing from scouts that he was a likely first-round draft pick. I loved listening to him talk about how much he loves hanging out with UCLA students and being in college basketball.

I choose to love Lorenzo Mata-Real, who took us to two Final Fours before Kevin Love arrived, and - who knows? - may have taken us to a third without the much-hyped one-and-done player who took his starting spot in Mata-Real's senior year. The next complaint I hear from Mata-Real will be the first.

The first post I ever put on BruinsNation was an attempt to vent my frustration when Jordan Farmar was leaving for the NBA, as it reminded me of the pain I had felt when Baron Davis had left after his second year. I loved Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo because they had been the Founding Fathers of the new era in UCLA basketball, and even if they were leaving early, they had bought into a new age in the aftermath of Steve Lavin.

I love Ben Howland for bringing in that new age and several other players who will continue to wear UCLA jerseys and pursue national championships.

Kevin Love? Seems like a nice enough guy. Plugged into a new UCLA legacy that existed before he got here. Hope he does well at the next level. Nice of him to stop by. I like him a lot.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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his "legacy" will depend on his future involvement

i agree with mostly everything you said. it was fun having him, he was a great player for the Bruins, but we run team basketball and we’ll be great next year. farmar and afflalo left early, but they really led their respective Bruin teams (I feel DC was this year’s leader) and more importantly have represented UCLA in the NBA. Love’s legacy will depend entirely on his future involvement w/ UCLA. If he takes classes here and graduates, continues to speak with Coach Wooden, talks up Howland, etc., then the fact that he was only here for 1 year will be overshadowed. If not, he’ll be remembered as the big guy that was one-and-done the year before Howland’s first national championship.

by jjreicher on May 24, 2008 8:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good post pimp

I guess I never really put a lot of emotional investment in Kevin Love because I knew he was here only for one year and I chose to enjoy every moment he was here.

I wrote over and over and over and over again on BN that people should not get too attached to Love because he was not coming back. It was pretty much an open secret when he committed to UCLA. If not for the pro one year rule, KL would have never come to UCLA. And he decided to come here over UNC and help us get to a record setting 16th Final-4.

Now he will go on to the NBA. And despite some comments from an over involved Dad (that could get on people’s nerve) he will do well in the next level and in return only embellish the unmatched brand of UCLA basketball, just like Jordan is now doing with the Lakers.

It’s win-win situation all around.

GO BRUINS.

by Nestor on May 24, 2008 9:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You nailed it...

You stated it perfectly — I was a huge, devoted fan of Kevin Love, but the recent comments from his father and Kevin’s lack of finishing school really shows what the agenda of his days were at UCLA – a long, drawn out mini-camp for him to “market” and “brand” his skills to the NBA.

I feel we were used, but as Nestory said, we should of accepted it. Only time will tell if he will be part of the UCLA Family.

by RLB on May 24, 2008 6:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It was a mutually beneficial relationship..

..in that both UCLA and KL got something for their investment. KL and Stan Love picked what they thought was the Cadillac of Basketball programs with a good (if only semi-recently soured) reputation, and helped a good team go to (yet another) FF. UCLA got recognized for their (and CBH’s) ability to get blue-chippers and mold them into team players with sound defensive skills.

I think (cf. the commentary raging over on the other thread) that there were very few minuses and a whole lot of pluses here. I mean the alternative could be those pathetic bastards across town or the poor people at Memphis.

by WHP '68 on May 25, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but...

...KL did spend a good amount of time with Coach, and Coach liked the kid. If anyone is a good judge of character it is definitely Coach.

If he got Coach’s seal of approval, CBH’s seal of approval, then these recent comments should, in my opinion, be written off as merely pre-draft jockeying. The guy, and his old man, are saying what they need to say to help KL in the draft. Could Stan have phrased his words better? Certainly. But, given KL’s relationship with Coach and CBH, and those two men’s ability to judge character, I’m willing to give KL the benefit of the doubt until something damaging comes out or is said.

by norcald503 on May 26, 2008 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The company Coach keeps

I like the sentiment here, but this argument reminded me of the fact that Coach seems to sometimes spend a lot of time with people who are regularly trashed here on BN. A couple examples easily jump to mind.

I remember when he was taking his one dance class and finishing his job as quarterback at that school across town, Matt Leinart used to talk about the time he’d been able to spend at Coach’s knee.

And I remember a certain former UCLA basketball “coach” who would often talk about the support he would receive from Coach on a weekly basis, and then even asked him to be the best man at his wedding (which never actually happened due to outside reasons).

The chance to spend time with John Wooden was another experience that Kevin Love was able to take away from spending a year at UCLA, but I’m not sure it should be used as an argumentfor anything more than that.

by antipimp on May 27, 2008 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bumped

Also folks … note this is the kind of post “recommend” button was created for. :-)

by Nestor on May 26, 2008 7:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

KL withdrawing from classes

Does anyone know if this adversely affects the program (aside from dimininshing the graduation rate)? Long term, does it affect scholarships?

by Give me a B... on May 26, 2008 8:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Question addressed elsewhere

in a separate fanpost by Nestor. Sorry!

by Give me a B... on May 26, 2008 8:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perfect

Love will never touch the legacy I feel players such as Afflalo and Mata left. One year doesn’t cut it in the legacy department.

by jose007 on May 26, 2008 8:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

what you posted is exactly what i have been saying about KLove on BRO and other sites … as much as I loved him and all that he did ….he said from the very beginning that he was coming to UCLA to create his legacy against those of Mr Walton and Mr Alciincor… he was all about the love of UCLA and enjoying his life here then he leaves after one year ? after what legacy ? what makes him different than Farmar or Afflalo ? we made it to the Final Four for two straight years before he got here so did he do anything dfferent ? to me the legacys of Mata and Collison will be thought of in Bruin Lore much more than Kevin Love ….as much as I enjoyed his poise and him saying the right things in interviews and those outlet passes …...his legacy is nothing

by UCLADave on May 26, 2008 10:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Stan has a point

I think Love’s talents were wasted to some degree. The team had problems all season long getting the ball into Love’s hands when he was playing underneath the basket. If the outside shooting had been there, the Bruins could have made defenses pa for collapsing in on Love. But it wasn’t there.

So I really don’t see why he didn’t play more at the top of the lane. First of all, it would have been much easier to get him the ball there, where he could either shoot or pass. Second, if opponents double-teamed him there, it would open up room for other players - like Collison - to drive underneath. Third, Love is a pretty good shooter and can even make three-pointers, so he doesn’t have to be camped two feet from the basket to score.

I’m absolutely no kind of expert, and Howland is an excellent coach, so I’m sure there are reasons why he kept Love camped out under the basket where no one could pass into him very well, but I’d like to know what those reasons were.

by Chandler on May 26, 2008 10:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Pain of Lavin

... it reminded me of the pain I had felt when Baron Davis had left after his second year.

Probably nothing like the pain that Baron felt playing for Steve Lavin, which is why he left so early. My favorite quote of Baron’s was uttered when he was at Pauley last November with the Golden State Warriors for a shoot-around: “We should have a banner up there: the only team to make the tournament without a coach.”

by CrouchingBruin on May 27, 2008 12:37 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

uneducated comment...

I have read all the comments on this post. It appears that the majority of them are towards KL and his dad about leaving his mark and continuing the ucla tradition of big men and establishing himself along the side of previous bruin greats. The bottom line is that we accepted KL with open arms when he commited to ucla. we lauded his play as a bruin. and now he has moved on. let’s not be surprised that he’s leaving ucla in his wake. lets appreciate his bruin-like efforts and wish him well. it was what it was. we will be ok. he will not make or break our tradition, unlike oj2 at scum.

by PasadenaBruin on May 27, 2008 1:02 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

i am saying that my comment is an uneductedcomment, not the previous ones.

by PasadenaBruin on May 27, 2008 1:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

KL

KL was a huge positive to the program in so many ways. 1) When was the last time before KL that UCLA was the desired choice for the number 1 big man in the nation. Recruits will think of coming here first, instead of tenth after KL. 2) Despite his intention to leave after 1 year he acted like a student and said all the right things. 3) KL’s improvement over the season was a testament to Coach’s ability to bring the most out of players, another advertisement for coming here. 4) One and done is a sad reality, and no top program is going to be able to avoid it. KL gave us a run for the title and keeps the program at the pinnacle. He can’t be blamed for maximixing his opportunities. 5) It was unreasonable to expect a HS senior to have the maturity to make the same kind of effort he is now making to move up in the pro rankings. I am sure he put in a lot of effort over last summer, but a year of maturity in the public eye, and thousands of dollars in training have changed his perspective on what was needed. He will always be a Bruin as Baron Davis is, even though he left us wanting more and thinking about what could have been.

by 75NatChamps on May 27, 2008 8:39 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

AAffalo

I couldn’t help wondering what was on Aron’s mind as he sat watching the Pistons play and doesn’t get into the game in the playoffs. Does he wish that he had stayed to lead the Bruins to an NCAA title, instead of going through the grind of a tough season, where he was outshined by Stuckey? What a great Bruin he was, and I wish him nothing but well as he gets stronger and turns into a very good pro.

by 75NatChamps on May 27, 2008 8:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah. Me, too.

I’m sure we would have won the championship if he’d been on the team. No doubt in my mind. Might have gone undefeated.

by Chandler on May 27, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I love the way Kevin played.

Not just that he was a good player or a great clutch player. I love the way he gave it his all practically every moment of every game. He worked his ass off. And no matter how badly he got hacked, he never lost his cool. And I love the way he was a great team player. He showed tremendous character. And he was so much fun to watch. That enthusiasm!

I wish he’d stayed long enough to make a real impact. He could have been one of the UCLA greats. I’m sad he’s gone. I’ll miss him. But I’m glad he stopped by and I wish him well.

by Chandler on May 27, 2008 11:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I Agree, Chandler

The kid played his heart out and he was a thrill to watch. I remember screaming for him to get the ball more, too, during the games. He’s a great kid, and I wish him nothing but success.

It’s too bad he didn’t stay longer, or finish his classes, but he played like a true warrior for us. Thanks for the reminder.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on May 28, 2008 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree about Love, too

No one really expected him to stay more than a year. We were all enamored with his skills while he was here, He has never done anything to embarrass the school or the program or the fans or himself. He will be missing the college experience, of course, and the people he hangs out with in the NBA will not be a close substitute. But he’s fulfilling his dream, and he’s making it a full time job which I think is to his credit. I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to root for him. But alas, Kevin, if you’re listening—once you go to the NBA you’ll be part of something that I just don’t care about and don’t follow. Having said that, I hope he has nothing but success.

And the more I think about it, the more I remember about him that I like. He was a great representative of our school while he was here, and we should be behind him 100%.

by Fox 71 on May 28, 2008 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs