Choose which Kevin Love comment matters most

Kevin Love did a round of national radio interviews on Monday for a Chocolate Milk campaign, giving us the chance to read deeply into a few soundbites even as we claim we shouldn’t. In case you hadn’t heard, Love could be a free agent this summer and hasn’t always looked thrilled playing with LeBron James and the Cavaliers this season.

Love specifically went on two highly syndicated shows: Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio and The Dan Patrick Show. You can listen to those interviews here and here. The key takeaway depends on your perspective.

Shut up. Everything’s fine
Love took ownership of his struggles for the most part, reiterating that while he hasn’t always enjoyed playing a smaller role, the team’s success trumps all. “If we have a chance at the end of the year to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, then it’s all been worth it,” he said on Mike and Mike.

More importantly, Love explicitly said he’s in it for the long haul in Cleveland. Patrick asked Love whether winning a title would influence his decision to stay with the team. “Anytime you win, better things are going to happen,” he said. “But I plan on being a Cavalier either way.”

Love also said if he had the chance to do over the summer, he’d still join the Cavaliers.

This is consistent with Love’s previous public statements. In January, Love said he plans to stay with the Cavaliers for one more year instead of opting out of the final year of his contract. Love also told SB Nation’s Fear the Sword that he’s having fun this year despite the common perception.

There was an odd moment midway through the Patrick interview when Love was asked which player has been more impressive this year: current teammate LeBron James or former college teammate Russell Westbrook. Love didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“They’re both having an MVP-type season, but I’m going to go with Russell Westbrook because he’s, every single night you’re looking at his stat sheet, they’re fighting for a playoff spot, with Serge Ibaka going down now, Kevin Durant potentially being out the rest of the year and him still going out there and fighting for his team, and winning, and fighting for that seventh or eighth spot in the playoffs. I think Russ is arguably having the better season.”

Little weird that Love didn’t pump up his current teammate or answer with a cop out.

The dumbest moment of the two interviews also doubles as the biggest hot-button topic. Mike Greenberg asked Love about a recent Instagram photo on LeBron’s page that Love sat out. The caption read “Clique up.”

Here’s the full question and answer:

GREENBERG: Everything is a referendum on how you feel about everything this season. LeBron James will put up a picture on Instagram where he says, ‘here’s my clique’. There’s a bunch of guys in the picture and you’re not one of them. People will immediately start drawing assumptions based on it. How is your relationship with LeBron?

LOVE: “It’s fine. You know, we’re not best friends, we’re not hanging out every day, but we see each other every day, whether at the practice facility, whether on the road or going to a game. I think our relationshuip is also evolving, and I could say the same with each and every coach, coach Blatt and each and every player on the team. That’s part of the NBA and I think, as I’ve said all along, as long as it’s for the greater good, it’s fine. I’m sure that he’s going to have me in the next picture. We’ll see.”

Folks will jump on the “we’re not best friends” line, but let’s be real: how many cordial relationships do you have with co-workers who you don’t consider best friends? Maybe you have 100 best friends and think this question is stupid. That’s great. Kevin Love doesn’t appear to operate this way, and it’s fine.

There are a lot of other reasons Love might leave the Cavaliers. We don’t need to dissect an Instagram photo.

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