Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kevin is a five-time All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He also won gold medals with the U.S. national team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2011, Kevin won the NBA Most Improved Player Award and led the league in rebounding.

Kevin's father, Stan Love, was also an NBA player. Kevin was a top basketball player in high school. He played one year of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He helped his team reach the Final Four in the 2008 NCAA tournament. Kevin was named a top college player and the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year. He then entered the 2008 NBA draft. The Memphis Grizzlies picked him fifth overall. He was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. During the 2010–11 season, Kevin had the longest streak of games with double figures in points and rebounds since the NBA and ABA leagues joined.

After playing six seasons with Minnesota, Kevin was traded to the Cavaliers in 2014. He played in four straight NBA Finals with the team and won a championship. Kevin faced several injuries from 2018 to 2021. In the 2021–22 season, he became a reserve player and was almost named Sixth Man of the Year. In February 2023, he left the Cavaliers and joined the Miami Heat. With the Heat, he reached his fifth NBA Finals.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Kevin Love was born on September 7, 1988, in Santa Monica, California. He grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon. As a child, he was friends and played baseball with future NBA star Klay Thompson. Kevin started playing basketball very young. He practiced his passes and studied tapes of famous players. His father, Stan, taught him how to shoot from outside and handle the ball.

Kevin played high school basketball for the Lake Oswego Lakers. In his second year, he led his team to the 2005 state championship game. The next summer, he played for the Southern California All-Stars. His team won 46 games and lost none. Kevin won three MVP awards. In his third year, he helped Lake Oswego win the state championship. In his final year, he was named the Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year. He also became the all-time leading scorer in Oregon boys' basketball history.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Kevin Love C	Lake Oswego, Oregon	Lake Oswego High	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Jul 25, 2006
Kevin Love C	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 99
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 1 (C); 12 (school) Rivals: 2 (state); 6 (national)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career at UCLA

Love in 2008 at UCLA

In July 2006, Kevin decided to play college basketball at UCLA. He was allowed to wear number 42, a number that had been retired for a famous player. Kevin often asked UCLA legends like Bill Walton for advice. His choice to play for UCLA made some fans of the Oregon Ducks upset. During a game at Oregon, some fans sent Kevin mean messages and threw things at his family. This led to discussions about how fans should behave.

In 2008, Kevin led UCLA to win the Pac-10 conference championship. He also helped the Bruins reach the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. At the end of the season, Kevin was named a top college player and the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He led the Bruins with 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

Professional Basketball Career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2008–2014)

Starting in the NBA

Kevin announced he would leave UCLA to join the 2008 NBA draft. The Memphis Grizzlies picked him fifth overall. On draft night, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his first NBA game, Kevin scored 12 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. He quickly became a key player for the Timberwolves. He led all rookies in rebounding and had 29 games with double-doubles (double figures in two stats). He was named to the 2009 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

Becoming an All-Star Player

Love in 2010

In October 2009, Kevin broke a bone in his left hand and missed the start of the season. He returned in December and helped the struggling Timberwolves. He was chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge. He finished the season as one of the best rebounders in the NBA.

In November 2010, Kevin had an amazing game against the New York Knicks. He scored 31 points and grabbed a career-high 31 rebounds. This was the first "30–30" game (30+ points and 30+ rebounds) in the NBA since 1982. In February 2011, Kevin was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. He set a team record with 38 straight double-doubles. His streak of 53 consecutive double-doubles was the longest since 1976.

Love in 2011

Kevin led the NBA in rebounding, averaging 15.2 rebounds per game. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award because his points and rebounds greatly increased. He became the first player since 1982 to average at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a season. Kevin became the new face of the Timberwolves team.

Injuries and Records

Love in 2012

In January 2012, Kevin scored 30 points in three games in a row. He also made a game-winning three-point shot against the Los Angeles Clippers. In February, he won the Three-Point Contest at the All-Star Weekend. He scored a career-high 51 points in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin was named to the All-NBA second team.

In October 2012, Kevin broke bones in his right hand and missed several weeks. He returned in November but re-injured his hand in January 2013. This second injury required surgery, and he missed more time.

Love shooting a free throw in 2014

In February 2014, Kevin recorded his first career triple-double (double figures in points, rebounds, and assists). He had 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also broke the Timberwolves' record for most three-pointers in a season. Kevin recorded two more triple-doubles that season. He became the first player in NBA history to have 2,000 points, 900 rebounds, and 100 three-pointers in one season. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team again.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2023)

Joining the Big Three and Winning a Championship

Love with the Cavaliers in 2014

In August 2014, Kevin was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He joined LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to form a "Big Three" team. In his first playoff game, Kevin scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. However, he dislocated his left shoulder in the first round and missed the rest of the playoffs. Without him, the Cavaliers reached the 2015 NBA Finals but lost.

Love screening for Kyrie Irving in 2016

In July 2015, Kevin re-signed with the Cavaliers. In November, he scored 34 points against the Orlando Magic. The Cavaliers finished the regular season as the top team in their conference. In the playoffs, Kevin helped the Cavaliers reach the 2016 NBA Finals. They faced the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Kevin had some tough games in the Finals, but he played a key role in Game 7. His defense on Stephen Curry helped the Cavaliers win the series 4–3. This was Cleveland's first major sports championship in 52 years!

Later Years and New Roles

In October 2016, Kevin received his first championship ring. In November, he scored 40 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, including an NBA-record 34 points in the first quarter. In January 2017, he was named an Eastern Conference All-Star. However, he had knee surgery and missed the All-Star Game. He returned in March and helped the Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals again, where they lost to the Warriors.

In October 2017, Kevin scored 15 points in the Cavaliers' season opener. In November, he scored 38 points against the Miami Heat. In January 2018, he fractured his left hand and missed several weeks. He returned in March and made his 1,000th career three-pointer. In the 2018 playoffs, Kevin had a great game against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 31 points. He also became the fourth player in Cleveland history with 500 career playoff rebounds. The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals again but lost to the Warriors.

In July 2018, Kevin signed a new contract with the Cavaliers. He then had surgery on his left foot and missed 50 games. He returned in February 2019. In the 2019–20 season, Kevin had five games where he scored 30 points or more. In the 2020–21 season, he had a calf injury that caused him to miss many games.

In the 2021–22 season, Kevin became a reserve player, coming off the bench. He had a season-high 35 points against the Atlanta Hawks. He was the runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. In February 2023, Kevin and the Cavaliers agreed to end his contract. He then became a free agent.

Miami Heat (2023–2025)

On February 20, 2023, Kevin signed with the Miami Heat. He made his Heat debut a few days later. With the Heat, Kevin reached his fifth NBA Finals. However, the Heat lost the Finals in 5 games to the Denver Nuggets.

In July 2023, Kevin re-signed with the Heat. He signed another contract with them in July 2024.

Utah Jazz (2025–present)

On July 7, 2025, Kevin was traded to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade. He is expected to be bought out of his contract.

Playing for the National Team

Love with the U.S. national team in 2012

Kevin was part of the U.S. national team that won the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He also joined the 2012 Olympic team. The team won every game and earned the gold medal over Spain.

Kevin decided not to play in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was also selected for the 2020 Olympic team in Tokyo but withdrew due to a calf injury.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2008–09	Minnesota	81	37	25.3	.459	.105	.789	9.1	1.0	.4	.6	11.1
2009–10	Minnesota	60	22	28.6	.450	.330	.815	11.0	2.3	.7	.4	14.0
2010–11	Minnesota	73	73	35.8	.470	.417	.850	15.2*	2.5	.6	.4	20.2
2011–12	Minnesota	55	55	39.0	.448	.372	.824	13.3	2.0	.9	.5	26.0
2012–13	Minnesota	18	18	34.3	.352	.217	.704	14.0	2.3	.7	.5	18.3
2013–14	Minnesota	77	77	36.3	.457	.376	.821	12.5	4.4	.8	.5	26.1
2014–15	Cleveland	75	75	33.8	.434	.367	.804	9.7	2.2	.7	.5	16.4
2015–16	Cleveland	77	77	31.5	.419	.360	.822	9.9	2.4	.8	.5	16.0
2016–17	Cleveland	60	60	31.4	.427	.373	.871	11.1	1.9	.9	.4	19.0
2017–18	Cleveland	59	59	28.0	.458	.415	.880	9.3	1.7	.7	.4	17.6
2018–19	Cleveland	22	21	27.2	.385	.361	.904	10.9	2.2	.3	.2	17.0
2019–20	Cleveland	56	56	31.8	.450	.374	.854	9.8	3.2	.6	.3	17.6
2020–21	Cleveland	25	25	24.9	.409	.365	.824	7.4	2.5	.6	.1	12.2
2021–22	Cleveland	74	4	22.5	.430	.392	.838	7.2	2.2	.4	.2	13.6
2022–23	Cleveland	41	3	20.0	.389	.354	.889	6.8	1.9	.2	.2	8.5
2022–23	Miami	21	17	19.9	.388	.297	.857	5.7	1.9	.4	.2	7.7
2023–24	Miami	55	5	16.8	.440	.344	.787	6.1	2.1	.3	.2	8.8
2024–25	Miami	23	9	10.9	.357	.358	.696	4.1	1.0	.7	.2	5.3
Career		952	693	28.9	.438	.369	.828	10.0	2.3	.6	.4	16.2
All-Star		3	1	21.0	.500	.364	.286	6.7	1.3	1.3	.0	10.7

NBA Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2015	Cleveland	4	4	26.7	.415	.429	.737	7.0	2.5	.3	.5	14.3
2016	Cleveland	20	19	30.6	.385	.414	.840	8.8	2.1	.5	.4	14.7
2017	Cleveland	18	18	32.1	.436	.450	.840	10.6	1.7	1.2	.9	16.8
2018	Cleveland	21	21	31.4	.392	.340	.922	10.2	1.6	.7	.4	14.9
2023	Miami	20	18	17.9	.378	.375	.875	5.6	1.2	.5	.4	6.9
2024	Miami	5	0	6.4	.444	.250	—	2.8	.8	.0	.0	1.8
Career		88	80	26.7	.400	.397	.855	8.3	1.6	.7	.5	12.6

College Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007–08	UCLA	39	38	29.6	.559	.354	.767	10.6	1.9	.7	1.4	17.5

Personal Life and Advocacy

Kevin's uncle, Mike, is a founding member of the Beach Boys. His cousins include the famous Wilson brothers, who were also in the Beach Boys. Kevin's middle name, Wesley, honors Wes Unseld, a former basketball player and family friend.

Kevin married Canadian model Kate Bock on June 25, 2022. They welcomed their first child in June 2023.

In March 2018, Kevin shared that he had been seeing a therapist. This was after he had a panic attack during a game. He wrote an article called "Everyone Is Going Through Something." In it, he said, "Mental health is an invisible thing, but it touches all of us." He wanted to remind people that it's okay to talk about what you're going through.

Kevin continues to speak out about mental health awareness. He has talked about his own struggles with anxiety. He started the Kevin Love Fund to help people improve their emotional well-being. He hopes to help over a billion people. In 2020, his fund gave $100,000 to support staff at the Cleveland Cavaliers' arena during the coronavirus pandemic. He also pledged $500,000 to UCLA's psychology department to support research on anxiety and depression.

Kevin has said he is open to returning to Cleveland to retire with the Cavaliers.

Endorsements and Media

In 2011, Kevin signed a deal with the Chinese shoe company 361 Degrees. He also became an investor in a lifestyle website. In 2016, he became a style ambassador for Banana Republic.

Kevin has appeared in video games, TV shows, and movies. He was on the cover of NCAA Basketball 09. He appeared as himself on the Disney Channel show The Suite Life on Deck. He was also in the HBO show Entourage. Kevin was in the 2008 documentary Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot. He also appeared in popular online commercials for Pepsi Max with his future teammate Kyrie Irving.

Awards and Honors

NBA

2016 NBA Champion
5× NBA All-Star
2× All-NBA Second Team

USA Basketball

2010 FIBA World Championship Gold Medal
2012 Olympic Gold Medal

College

2008 First Team All-American
2008 Pac-10 Player of the Year
UCLA Hall of Fame (class of 2020)

High School

2006 Oregon State Champion
2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award

Other Awards

2016 Best Team ESPY Award (with the Cleveland Cavaliers)
2020 Arthur Ashe Courage Award
2021 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards - Humanitarian of the Year

Kevin Love facts for kids

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