Back to normal for Love? No. Back on the court? Yes
NEW ORLEANS — It was supposed to be different.
About a year ago, the coronavirus pandemic ripped basketball away from Kevin Love, abruptly ending the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season in mid-March following 65 mostly-frustrating games that tested Love, took away his joy for the game and had him wanting a trade.
But those nine isolated months — from March 11, when the season froze because of the league’s first positive COVID-19 test, to the 2020-21 opener on Dec. 23 — provided time and reflection needed for the five-time AllStar to recapture that love. He came to camp refreshed and healthy, energetic and free from the misery of two injury-wrecked and loss-filled seasons, hungry and feeling “amazing,” the best he had in years — even surprising some teammates with a few early dunks.
It was supposed to be different. Until it wasn’t. This time, an injury taking the game away.
During Cleveland’s preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 12, Love got kicked in the back of the right leg by Indiana power forward Domantas Sabonis. It caused an abundance of swelling in Love’s calf that extended into his Achilles.
Here we go again. Another year. Another injury. After missing the remainder of the preseason and unable to play in the much-anticipated home opener, Love returned Dec. 26 and then suited up the next night — for nine minutes before hobbling off the floor. It was the same problematic calf, only this time a much more significant injury: grade 2 calf strain.
More than two months. Thirty-three games. Hours of rehab. Unquantifiable dejection. A frustrating setback.
Love finally returned Friday night. Just his third regular season game in a year.
“I don’t want to speak hyperbole or take it over the top, but this is probably the most mentally taxing — not the most physically taxing injury — but the most mentally taxing for me for sure,” an introspective Love revealed following Friday’s 116-82 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. “It was really a struggle ’cause it’s who I am. I’m a basketball player first and foremost and I’ve loved this game for so long.
Just playing basketball, that’s what I love to do. It’s so much a part of me. When you have it taken away from you and you feel like there’s not much you can do after working so damn hard, that can be really disheartening and a tough hurdle to overcome.
“It was just really mentally frying. I got so sick of riding the bike and doing the Versaclimber. There’s never been a time in my life where I’ve wanted to run sprints more than like two, three weeks ago.”
Love, who said he learned all about the different grades of calf injuries and the healing process attached to each, scored four points on 1-of-4 from the field and 1-of-3 from 3-point range in 10 minutes. That was the number coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the training staff and Love set before the game, playing two separate five-minute bursts during the first half.
His lone basket came at the 9:46 mark of the first quarter. He was replaced by Cedi Osman a little more than two minutes later. Love returned late in the first quarter and opened the second quarter before departing for good with 9:22 remaining. He spent the rest of the first half on the exercise bike before going to the locker room, where he stayed getting treatment as the Cavs got clubbed by the Pelicans.
“It just felt great to feel like I was playing meaningful basketball,” Love said. “I could have shot 0 for 50 and I would have been fine with it.”
While sidelined, Love stayed engaged by supporting his teammates. One of the team leaders, he was vocal, providing pointers to leading scorer Collin Sexton, a player Love has grown close to over the last few years, and second-year point guard Darius Garland. It wasn’t always easy to stay positive. It wasn’t always easy to watch helplessly from the bench.
Love admitted following Friday’s game that he’s surprised it took so long to recover.
“I think naturally you never want to set a time frame because anything can be a hiccup,” Love said. “Everybody’s an expert, everybody’s a doctor, right? ‘Look, Marcus Smart was back in three or four, whatever.’ It’s different. There’s levels to this. Grade 2, the doctors are like, ‘Maybe six (weeks), but pretty much it’s going to be eight.’ So when I got to eight weeks I was like, ‘I’m playing. I’m playing. I’m playing.’ And then just had a minor setback and then AllStar break. So, they’re like, ‘Why don’t we wait?’
“I was obviously frustrated because I wanted to get back. At the time we were losing like eight, nine, 10 games in a row. But it was killing me not to be out there and not to feel like I had arrived at my destination on time.
“I’m tired of missing games, but I just had to do right by my body, therefore do right by the team as well.”
It’s not clear when Love’s minutes might get back to normal.
“Now I’m just hoping these next couple weeks I’ll get the wind underneath me, “he said. “I’ll get to start feeling like myself again and I won’t be as sore. A lot of that calf pain has subsided, so I’m hopeful.”