Miami Heat's Kevin Love On Derrick Rose's Retirement: "That Was Emotional For Me"

Drafted together in 2008, Love and Rose were two of the seven left in the league going into this season. The 6-foot-8 forward is now only one of six left.

Feb 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) goes for a layup as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) tries blocking during the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena./Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports / /

Miami Heat big man Kevin Love and Derrick Rose played together in the 2018 season.

The NBA community mourned the announcement of Rose's retirement last week while Love is 36 years old, and also on the edge of retirement. Their relationship is tight.

The 35-year-old guard is now a motivational speaker. Although he was never able to win a title, Rose inspired many athletes of younger generations to achieve their goals. The guard handled adversity better than almost anyone else, from injuries to being traded multiple times.

Love can relate to struggling with injuries in his career. Some being more major than others, such as two broken hands and having to go through knee surgery.

Although they only played 12 games together in Cleveland, Love and Rose formed a bond through their similar battles. The two players were close with each other, and the former guard's retirement hit the five-time All-Star hard, speaking about it at Heat's media day.

"That was emotional for me," Love said.

Rose was the youngest NBA player to win an MVP at 22 years and 7 months old. He played a fulfilling 16 years in the league, showing fans and athletes across the world that it doesn't matter what you face, you should always work your hardest.

The retirement of Rose clearly impacted many people around the NBA, including Love.

Ryan Diamond is a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at radiamond15@gmail.com or followed on X @RyanDiam15.

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