Does Cleveland Really Hate Kevin Love?

We asked Cavs fan from Cleveland if they truly hate Love.

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Complex Original

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Heading into the NBA Finals, the theory was that if the Cavs were to beat the Warriors, the team's Big 3—Kevin Love, LeBron James, and Kyrie Irvinghad to play extremely well. Going against a squad with a "Death Lineup" and the NBA's first unanimous MVP? Against a team that went 73-9 during the regular season? Cleveland would need the best of all three stars.

We've seen James and Irving put the Cavs on their backs. During Game 5, they each scored 41 points, the first time in finals history that two teammates scored 40 or more points in the same game. The Cavs avoided elimination that night. But Love? He was cleared to return for Game 4 following a concussion, but came off the bench likely because of his problems defending Draymond Green. But, even when Green did not play in Game 5 due to a suspension, Love only scored two points in 35 minutes and got a very public scolding from James

Since then, Cavs/basketball fans have explicitly expressed via social media that Love should sit out tonight's Game 6. There are memes of him blacked out of photos with the rest of the Big 3. There's a GoFundMe page to stop Love from playing in Game 6. But how do people from Cleveland really feel? Do folks in Cleveland actually hate Love? We spoke to local Cavs fans—including our very own Music news editor Chopz—to get answers. 

James B., 23
"I like Kevin Love. I feel like he takes an unnecessary amount of backlash from fans! We wouldn't have accomplished the success through the playoffs if it wasn't for his contributions! Cleveland has the most passionate fans in the world and the desire to win a championship can cause us to be extra critical at times, but I definitely appreciate what Love has brought to the team. Go Cavs!"

I don't think it would be wise to trade Kevin Love simply because the Warriors are a doomsday device that makes Kevin Love look like a YMCA scrub.

Jared M., 35
"Kevin Love is a very talented player in a very tough position. Playing with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James can make it hard for a player to get in rhythm on offense, which can impact his defense. He also gets stuck in his head way too much, which multiplies the stress he puts on himself.

For his, and the Cavs' sake, a trade this offseason might be best. That isn't to diminish his talents, but if the Cavs' goal is to beat the Warriors, Love may not be right third guy!"

Jordan Zirm, 27
"I have no hate in my heart for Kevin Love. I think his quiet, eccentric personality makes him an easy target to make fun of, and I think LeBron's 'Stop Fitting Out and Start Fitting In!' subtweet will live with him forever. So I think that's a huge part of the hate he gets. He hasn't been what we've expected, but I also think our expectations for him were misplaced. The biggest thing that bothers me about Kevin doesn't have to do with his game, but his mentality. He really seems to shrink when he gets off to a bad start, and that's more damning to me than just shooting a lower percentage from the 3-point line."

Chopz, 26
"I was so happy when the Cavs traded Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love. On paper, he was the perfect match for LeBron James. He could shoot, grab rebounds, bring energy, and all of that. Unfortunately, things haven't really gone according to plan with Love and the Cavs. He's never seemed to be as consistent as they've needed him to be, whether that was his fault, LeBron's, or the team's. The fit has always been odd. I've been very critical of Love for a while now, mostly because I've seen what he can do in the past and it just doesn't match what we see on the Cavs. However, I don't hate him. He's in a tough spot and will probably be traded this summer even if the Cavs win the title. His tenure in Cleveland will likely be looked at as a failure, but it's hard for me to fully blame him for that. So no, I don't hate Kevin Love. No matter how much he just kept fitting out."

Atari J., 23
"I feel Kevin Love is a good player and is a good fit for the Cavs, as far as his playoff performance. I think we can attribute that to him not really being in a such big situation as this one before. Sure he was in the playoffs last year, but ended up getting hurt early on. I think tonight will be Love's best game so far, with LeBron James and Kyrie needing someone else to show up. I believe he will."

Zack L., 40
"Chris Bosh was right when he predicted this would be toughest on Kevin Love. He is the built-in scapegoat. He fits out instead of in. He struggles against Golden State. But he has also done everything the team has asked, and has sacrificed the most, since he arrived in the Cleve! I want nothing more than for him to be successful as a Cav and help the team win a chip."

Darius G., 31
"I don't hate Kevin Love, but I don't love him either. I think he's a good player, but his struggles against length and athleticism are less than ideal and will only get worse with age. Probably won't live up to his contract."

Kyle W., 28
"As a Cavs fan, I feel as though we got 'sold a bill off goods' when it comes to Kevin Love. It must be tough, having to change your game to fit playing with Irving and James, but he's seemed like a square peg trying to get in a round hole ever since he got traded to the Cavs two years ago. Let's not forget LeBron's tweet, 'Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my thoughts.' Clearly, he has the exact same feelings I do, and the sad part is, is that he just doesn't seem to be athletic enough to play the style of basketball the Cavs thrive on. We'll see what he does the final two games but if it goes anyway close to the first five games, he will be leaving the clod winters of Cleveland."

Jacob R., 25
"I really want to root for Kevin Love. I made a huge case at WaitingForNextYear about how Kevin Love is a great NBA player when the trade happened. I really want this to be successful. I know he's better than just this matchup against the Warriors portrays. It just feels like a bummer that the team isn't vibing that well together and it seems like a breakup is pending, anyway. It bums me out."

B.J. S., 32
"Kevin Love has always been a personal Waterloo for me. I wasn't enthusiastic about trading Andrew Wiggins for him in the first place—not because I thought he wouldn't be good for the Cavs because I did—but because I didn't like the idea of trading a potential stud under long-term contract like Wiggins for a guy who could theoretically bolt in the Summer of 2015. That didn't happen but his play has been frustrating and off-putting to make me wish we had retained Wiggins. I thought he generally played well for the Cavs in the playoffs—they were 14-0 with him at one point—but the Warriors are just the worst possible matchup for him. They exploit both his defensive weaknesses and his physical capabilities in a way that makes him about as useful to the Cavs as Tyrion Lannister. 

However, I don't think it would be wise to trade Kevin Love simply because the Warriors are a doomsday device that makes Kevin Love look like a YMCA scrub. They almost assuredly wouldn't acquire anything of comparable value for him in any trade and teams don't get better by trading the most talented player in the deal. We are gonna be stuck with him for the foreseeable future barring a gas leak in the Pelicans front office that forces their GM to trade Anthony Davis to the Cans in a fit of paranoid delusion." 

Ryan G., 27
"Kevin Love needs to act like the 25-10 player he is. If he is not scoring, he better be rebounding. If he can maintain the defense he showed in Game 5, he can win us this series." 

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