Kevin Love claps back at LeBron’s ‘don’t fit in’ comments to Luka Doncic

After guard Luka Doncic was introduced in the starting lineup for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the team’s Monday bout against the Utah Jazz, forward LeBron James had a clear message for the Slovenian: Don’t simply try to fit in, fit out.

James’ message to Doncic was quite the opposite of what he had to say about big man Kevin Love when he was getting adjusted to playing with him and guard Kyrie Irving on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following a lackluster five-point performance while shooting 2-of-8 from the floor back in February of 2015, James took to then-Twitter and implored Love to stop trying to find a way to “FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN.”

Love has since weighed in on James’ “don’t fit in” comments that he had for Doncic.

The former University of California, Los Angeles star saw his production take a major dip in his inaugural season in Cleveland compared to the year prior. He averaged a career-high 26.1 points per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013-14 campaign but scored just 16.4 with two solidified stars alongside him.

However, Love seemingly settled into his complementary role in his second season as a Cavalier, as he was the third-best player on a Cleveland team that won its first title in franchise history.

He averaged a near double-double of 14.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game across 20 total appearances in the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Love also knocked down an impressive 41.4 percent of his 3-point attempts in that span.

Love is now long removed from being James’ teammate, however, and he is still seeking his first NBA title since 2016. But he did get close to adding to his championship count in the year 2023, as he was a member of the Miami Heat when the team shocked the basketball world and reached the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

He last played for the Cavaliers when he suited up in 41 games with the team back in the 2022-23 regular season. Love has played more games with Cleveland than any other team in the NBA.