The Cleveland Cavaliers and veteran forward Kevin Love completed a buyout on Saturday, and shortly afterward the team revealed that they plan to honor Love by retiring his No. 0 jersey in the future.
"Kevin Love had an outstanding run with the Cavaliers, including memorable on-court moments, four NBA Finals appearances and an NBA Championship in 2016," Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman said in a statement. "Kevin represented the organization and the city of Cleveland with the utmost charm and professionalism during his nine seasons in Northeast Ohio.
"He also embodied everything a franchise would want in a player, and the admiration and gratitude we have for him will ultimately land his jersey in the rafters of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. We thank Kevin for his impact and wish him nothing but the best, knowing that he has solidified his place in the hearts of Cavaliers fans and this organization forever."
Love suited up for the Cavs for nine seasons from 2014 to 2023 and played an integral role when the team made four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018 and captured the first championship in franchise history in 2016. He was the last remaining member of that team in Cleveland. He's sixth in franchise history in total rebounds and ninth in total points. As a result, he's definitely deserving of having his jersey raised to the rafters.
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Love will become the ninth player to have his number retired by the Cavaliers, joining Bingo Smith (No.7), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (No.11), Larry Nance (No.22), Mark Price (No.25), Austin Carr (No.34), Nate Thurmond (No.42), Brad Daugherty (No.43) and Bill Russell (N0. 6). It's safe to assume that Cleveland will also retire LeBron James' No.23 when his playing days are over.
