“As much as I hate the guy.. this is an absolute NO BRAINER,” replied Larry Nance Jr., to a poll on Kevin Love’s Hall of Fame chances. Pulling his ex-teammate’s legs has been Nance’s love language. Before the duo got separated into the trade market of the NBA world, they had a beautiful camaraderie at the Cleveland Cavaliers, which lasted between 2017-21. Despite the gap, the 31-year-old big man, who once took over Love’s spot, expressed the same brotherly mockery even today.

The NBA Champion Love is one of the old heads in the league, still competing at the highest level. After a decent two seasons with the Miami Heat, playing a bench veteran role to perfection, K-Love is all set to return for the 3rd season. Notably, it’s the 17th overall season for the 36-year-old. And, the Media Day jazz isn’t a new feeling for the vet. But, the star forward doesn’t seem to have lost his excitement.

Following the Media Day photo shoot, Kevin Love uploaded a stunning picture on his IG, writing, “Year 17. Still here.” with a fire emoji. And, inevitably, fans flooded the comments with overflowing love for the star. Notably, Love’s current teammate, Jaime Jaquez Jr. wrote, “K,” with a red heart emoji. However, there was another notable comment from Larry Nance Jr. that topped the comments section with hundreds of likes. Nance took a dig at Love’s age, writing, “Do you wear #42 for your age?”

Larry Nance is very well aware of Love’s age, which is 36, but as mentioned earlier, it’s just an extension of brotherly love to the veteran. Notably, Love’s jersey # during his time with the Cavs was 0. However, he had earlier donned #42 during his stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nevertheless, keeping the humor aside, it’s important to note that Kevin Love’s misfortune propelled Nance’s career.

A blessing in disguise: Kevin Love’s mishap helped Nance

During the 2020-21 season, Kevin Love struggled with a right calf strain and couldn’t lace up for a majority of the games. With LeBron James, leaving the franchise in 2018, the Cavs found it difficult to stay on top of the table. Even though the team had players like Andre Drummond, Tristan Thompson, and a young Darius Garland, the team needed a helping hand from Love.

After the injury sidelined Love, coach J.B. Bickerstaff set out a plan to promote Larry Nance Jr. to the vet’s spot. Speaking of Nance’s role, JB said, ““He’s got to pick up in all the areas that Kevin leaves empty… Kevin is probably a first-ballot Hall of Fame player. And not one person is going to pick that up. But we need him to take shots, we need him to playmake, we need him to defensive rebound. And we need him to sustain it for the entire time he’s on the floor.” 

And, Nance certainly did what was expected from him. The then-28-year-old set the road for a career-high performance of 10.5 ppg, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 steals in the first half of the season. The rising star received a rare limelight for his defensive ability and deflecting skills. Unfortunately, he couldn’t complete the season, as he sustained a fracture in his left hand, sidelining him for the rest of the season. However, it was Love’s calf strain that brought him to the limelight.  What do you make of Love and Nance’s bond? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.