Kevin Love says Cavs will retire his jersey in touching spot at Rocket Arena

Before big man Kevin Love joined the Miami Heat, he spent eight-plus seasons as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. Love was a reliable scoring and rebounding threat in his Cavaliers tenure, as he averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game across 489 total regular-season contests with the team.

He was also an indispensable part of the team’s first and only title run in franchise history back in 2016. He nearly averaged a double-double across 20 games played in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, and the Cavaliers won the title after mounting a 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors in the championship series.

Love revealed recently that his jersey will be honored in the rafters at Rocket Arena in quite a wholesome spot. More specifically, his jersey retirement banner will be hung next to Nick Gilbert’s banner.

Gilbert represented the Cavaliers at multiple draft lotteries, and Cleveland experienced plenty of good luck under his representation. He was in attendance when the Cavaliers landed the No. 1 overall pick multiple times, including for the 2011 NBA Draft. Cleveland used that pick on none other than guard Kyrie Irving, who earned a Rookie of the Year award, several All-Star nods and a championship with the Cavs.

However, Gilbert’s life was cut tragically short. At the age of 26, he died of neurofibromatosis type 1 back in May of 2023. There is no known cure for the genetic disorder. Gilbert inspired many people during his 26 years.

Love faced off against his former team when his Heat took on the Cavaliers on Wednesday. In over 16 minutes of playing time, he totaled 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocked shots.

The Cavaliers ultimately came out on top in the contest by a final score of 112-107, however. Guard Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland from a scoring standpoint with 26 points while shooting 8-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-11 from 3-point range.

Cleveland’s victory on Wednesday marked its 12th in a row. The Cavaliers haven’t lost a game in over a month now and have the longest winning streak in the NBA at the moment.

The team can extend its current streak to 13 with a victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. The Hornets have lost their last eight games played.