Kevin Love talked about being stereotyped during an interview with Sports Headliners that also included his personal life, rebounding potential and guns in NBA locker rooms.
Love is in his second season as a power forward for the Timberwolves. He’s only 21 but already has established himself as one of the premier rebounders on the planet. He averaged 9.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season, finishing ninth in the NBA.
This season Love is averaging 12.3 rebounds, third in the league. His scoring average is 15.2 points per game. Earlier this season he had nine consecutive games scoring and rebounding in double figures.
The 6-9, 260 pound Love, whose father Stan named him Kevin Wesley Love after undersized rebounding center Wes Unseld, has a chance to be remembered as one of the premier rebounders of his era. “I am told there is no such thing as a selfish rebound,” Love said. “If you have to get that ball, if you have to steal it from a teammate, that’s what you have to do. As long as you’re helping your team win, it doesn’t even matter about the stats. Bill Russell said you don’t have to be the most athletic guy in the world to get all those rebounds because 80 percent of rebounds are below the rim.
“Obviously, you look at me, I am a 6-8, 6-9 white guy that is somewhat vertically challenged. It doesn’t matter to me. I am still getting us rebounds. It’s all fighting for position, knowing where the ball is coming off. There’s just a special technique to it.”
How important is Love to the Wolves? He missed the first 18 games of the season with a broken bone in his left hand. The team won two games without him.
After a Wolves practice earlier this month at Target Center Love answered questions for Sports Headliners:
You joined the Wolves at 20 years old, leaving your home on the West Coast. Were you homesick at times?
“Somewhat. I had my (older) brother (Collin) out here with me. He’s out here with me this year, too. (So) I had a little piece of home with me and family with me all the time. …
“Getting adjusted in the second year has helped me to be not homesick as much as I was last year. I actually really enjoy the city. …”
You left a great program at UCLA for a losing situation here. Being honest, have there been a few times when you caught yourself wondering if you should have remained a Bruin beyond your freshman season?
“That’s tough. I miss the social aspect of college. I miss all my friends that I made there. There are times that I wish I could go back from that aspect. I love college basketball because the crowd is so into it. People camping out, trying to get tickets to the game. You have all that tradition there (UCLA) with the 11 national championships.
“Then you come here and you’re playing against guys like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, and you’re living your dreams. The only tough part about it is the losing aspect. That’s something you’ll never accept but you can come to learn from it. We only won 24 games last year. I don’t know if we’ll win that this year. I hate using the word rebuilding, but we are in a rebuilding stage and we have a lot of young guys including myself.”
You’re averaging over 12 rebounds per game. When you reach your peak as a player, how many are you capable of averaging?
“I still feel like I am transitioning into a young man’s body. I turned 21 in September so I still feel I am relatively very young for the NBA. I don’t feel like my body has caught up to where my game is at. So I think when that happens, I think the rebounds they jump into the 13, 14 (averages), maybe even peak at 14 or 15. I definitely think I could get a couple more rebounds a game (than now), but you have to play enough minutes, not get in foul trouble. Just things like that. But I think at my peak my scoring can jump up, maybe three or five points, and also my rebounds maybe two to three.”
Do you expect to win multiple rebounding titles by the time your career is over?
“Boy, there is Dwight Howard (twice the NBA rebounding leader) in the league. That always makes it tough. I feel like I will always be in the top five. If I am not scoring well, if my shot’s a little bit off I can always play defense and I can always rebound.”