Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson may have been on opposite sides of Monday night’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat, but both showed a relationship that transcends the game of basketball. Prior to the tipoff of an eventual 138-83 Cleveland win to finish off a sweep, Thompson was seen consoling Love, who announced his father, Stan, died Sunday at 76 years old.
Thompson and Love were teammates in Cleveland for six seasons from 2014-20, a span that included the Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA championship. They developed a deep friendship during that time together, and it showed Monday.
“That’s my brother, man,” Love said back in 2020. “I would always go to war with him. I would run through a wall for him. He’s the best. Just the type of guy he is, he’s a lifelong friend of mine.”
Here’s a look at the moment the two shared on Monday:
Stan Love played four seasons in the NBA from 1971-75. He was drafted ninth overall by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the 1971 NBA Draft and also spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.
“You have undoubtedly been my greatest teacher,” Kevin Love wrote as part of his Instagram post. “A role often served by a Father figure. You taught me admirable qualities like respect & kindness. Humor & wit. Ambition & work ethic. Grit & aggressive will. The insight that failure brings. And that time is our most precious commodity.”
