Kevin Love says 2016 Cavs still have group chat that they use ‘every single day’

Former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love will always be linked to the franchise for what he helped Cleveland accomplish in the year 2016.

He averaged 14.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game across 20 games played in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, and the Cavaliers won their first title in franchise history.

Love explained that he keeps in touch with his former teammates from that legendary squad. He shared that those who were on that Cavaliers team are in a group chat and use it “every single day.”

“We [the 2016 Cavs team] have a group chat that we speak to every single day,” Love said. “You say the word ‘brotherhood’? You win together, that’s what it creates, especially in the fashion that we did it. Against a team that was, I mean, really a dynasty, coming back from 3-1. And what it meant to the city after 52 years of not having a major sports championship.

“It’s tough to put into words what that means to all of us. And we’re coming up on 10 years now. It’s just crazy to think [about]. It’s incredibly meaningful, something I think about, I think, every single day.”

The now 36-year-old was key to the Cavaliers’ first title run, but he didn’t lead Cleveland to a championship on his own. He was partners in crime with forward LeBron James and guard Kyrie Irving, both of whom were highly productive against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

James averaged 29.7 points during the championship series while Irving averaged 27.1, and the Cavaliers pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. As Love mentioned, Cleveland trailed in the series 3-1 at one point before winning Games 5, 6 and 7. To this day, the Cavaliers are the only team to win an NBA Finals series after falling into a 3-1 hole.

Some other notable contributors on that title team outside of James, Love and Irving were big man Tristan Thompson, forward Richard Jefferson, wing J.R. Smith and defensive ace Iman Shumpert.

Interestingly, Thompson is a member of the current iteration of the Cavs and is hoping to win his second title with the team this season. Cleveland has just 10 losses on the season and holds the top record in the NBA.

Love won just one championship during his stint with the Cavaliers but was with the team for a sizable period of time. He appeared in more games with Cleveland than he has with any other NBA team in his career. He last played for the Cavaliers in the 2022-23 season.

All in all, fans of the Cavaliers should be happy that members of that special team from almost a decade ago stay in contact with one another.