“Dad, you fought for a long time…. even at the end as you continued to deteriorate – I still saw you as a Giant. My Protector. My first Hero.” Kevin Love took yesterday to mourn, and so did his fans and supporters, as the NBA star’s father left for the heavenly abode. Stanley Love, who himself was once a professional NBA player (1971-1975), did not always have a good relationship with his son. However, at the end, there was nothing but affection in the tribute Love paid to him. In response, several people from Russell Westbrook’s wife Nina and Isaiah Thomas to Kevin Durant and Olympic Gold Medallist Lindsey Vonn paid their condolences. While he was late in his tribute, Love’s former teammate also eventually gave out his heartfelt remarks.

Having recorded a perfect 4-0 run, the Cleveland Cavaliers have now become the first team of this tournament to enter the Conference Semi-Finals. In the aftermath of Game 4, Donovan Mitchell was questioned on what his and the Cavs squad’s focus was on the day off, knowing that they wanted to close out the series. Before he could answer that, however, Mitchell took the opportunity to send a heartfelt message for Love.

“First of all, I want to give my condolences to Kevin Love and his family. That’s my dawg. Been a part of, you know, a lot of success here in Cleveland. Big part here. You know, I saw he was here. I didn’t get to see him. But, you know, my brother, I love you. Wishing you…. just keeping you in my prayers, man”.

Kevin Love and Donovan Mitchell had served as teammates when the former was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They only got to play together for one season, as Mitchell joined the franchise in 2022, while Love left it back in 2023 after carving out a 9-year career with it. However, even in the limited time, the duo was able to create a wholesome professional bond with each other.

Donovan Mitchell was especially “shocked” when it was revealed that Kevin Love had received a buyout from the Cavs. In a statement back in February 2023, he revealed, “I didn’t know that was in the works. I didn’t know that it would be my last game seeing him. I grew up watching Kevin Love, and I’m thankful because he is a guy that allowed me to come in and ask him a thousand questions, helped me be an integral part of this team, and helped with this group”.

Donovan Mitchell wasn’t the only one who recently sent out his love to Love (pun intended). Despite it being 2 years since the 5x NBA All-Star left the team, and the fact that the player’s new team was defeated 4-0 by his old one, the Cavs used this moment to display a sign of unity.

The Cavs Organization and Tristan Thompson joined Donovan Mitchell in sending condolences

The official X account of the Cleveland Cavaliers retweeted Mitchell’s remarks. It also wrote, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, @kevinlove. ❤️”. As Mitchell highlighted, Love is an important figure for the Cavs organization. Someone who gave 9 years of his NBA tenure to them. Therefore, the team, as a whole, made sure to send their regards to the 36-year-old amid his tragic time.

Perhaps retweeting the Cavs’ post was not something Tristan Thompson wanted to do to express his feelings. He wanted to go beyond that. This is why, before Game 4 began, Thompson was seen approaching Love and giving him a warm embrace. The same lasted for a full minute. The Cavs player kept visibly consoling his former teammate, while emotions seemed to be getting the better of Love. At that point in time, when the attention needed to be on the game, Thompson, who was teammates with the now Heat player for 6 years, could have been amongst the limited group of people who could give a comforting shoulder.

All of these acts of compassion showed one important thing. A player may leave the team, but a team might not always leave the player. By turning up at a moment when Kevin Love needed it the most, the Cavaliers organization and its players showed themselves standing high on the pedestal of compassion.