Inside The Heat

Before The World Knew Nikola Jokic, There Was Kevin Love

Kevin Love is now the old savvy veteran for the Miami Heat, but before that, he was the Jokic before Jokic.

Devin Brown

In this story:

Father time comes for every athlete at some point, and not many have defeated him. 

Lebron James and Tom Brady are the few exceptions, but those guys are truly one of one. Kevin Love has found his own Fountain of Youth again in Miami. He’s not the Minnesota Timberwolves version of himself, but at age 35, Love is still very effective. 

Over the last five games, Love has averaged 14.8 points and seven rebounds on 55 percent shooting. He has been critical for the Miami Heat as they battle through a plague of injuries. 

“I joke with him; he was Jokic before Jokic,” Tyler Herro said when asked about Kevin Love.

Many know of Timberwolves Kevin Love, but do you really remember?

Love had 16 games with at least 20+ points and 20+ rebounds. In nearly half of those games, he scored more than 30 points.

In March 2012, Love scored a career-high 51 points and 14 rebounds, going 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.

He looked out of shape, but nobody could stop him just like Nikola Jokic.

The league has changed a lot since then, but Love has still found a way to be an essential piece on a team with championship aspirations.

Love seems smarter than everyone else on the court, always in the right spot or making the correct pass. The athleticism may not be there, but the wisdom and craftiness are.

“K-Love just continues to give us a really important weapon.” Erik Spoelstra said 

The Heat acquired Love from the buyout market last season without much expectation attached to him. 

Now, 15 years in "The Jokic before Jokic," is still a guy opposing teams have to put on their scouting report. 

Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Says Nikola Jovic's Impact Goes Beyond The Box Score

Devin Brown is a contributing writer to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at dbrwnjr@gmail.com or Twitter @dbrwnjr.

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Devin Brown
DEVIN BROWN

Devin Brown is a sports writer who has contributed to FanNation's Inside the Heat since 2023. He has also covered the New Orleans Saints since 2020. He has experience in social media management, content creation, photography, and videography.

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