That Kevin Love even spoke his mind about his team’s management is a good sign for the Wolves.
Recently, Love had shared with the media some of his frustrations with the team. Among other things, there was the topic of how negotiations concerning Love’s extension were handled. Was there a tone of some resentment? Sure. Did Love seem to be tangibly critical of T’Wolves management? He did.
The fact of the matter is that Love wasn’t putting anyone on (undeserved) blast. Frankly, anyone who can claim, with any kind of certainty, that Kevin Love is anything short of an all-star should have to do 100 knuckle push ups.
Speaking of which, Love’s higher ups seemed even to doubt that their all-star forward was actually injured.
“Even people in my own organization were asking if it was a legitimate injury, people calling my honesty and integrity into question,” Love says. “And that’s what really hurt me.”
–Via Yahoo! Sports
Love’s contract negotiations were reportedly sloppy. Love’s talent and ridiculous stats are something of a no-brainer when it comes to a max deal, one would think. Glen Taylor, a Wolves owner, doesn’t see the best power forward in the game as an all star. And finally, there are whispers among his team’s management that he might not have sustained a legitimate injury.
What else does a guy need to get him a little pissed off?
Kevin Love is putting to task a man in David Kahn that has gone largely without criticism among the T’wolves for some his decisions.
Though it was a relatively weak draft, Kahn oversaw the Wolves’ selection of Ricky Rubio AND Jonny Flynn on back to back picks. Minnesota had the 5th and 6th pick of that draft.
Rubio was a no-brainer, but here are some of the names that went after Flynn: Stephen Curry, Demar Derozen, Jordan Hill, Jrue Holiday, and Darren Collison.
Kahn’s got a bunch of other “I can’t GM for my life” designations in some other draft picks, including 2nd overall pick and perennial bench warmer Derrick Williams.
It should be noted that the Wolves look much better this season then they did back in 2009. But, Kahn nonetheless earned himself some criticism.
Kevin Love, being the team’s most talented weapon (not to mention among the league’s top 10 players) has played his way to earning the right to call out some of his higher-ups on their buffoonery (According to the Yahoo! article, Kahn had also once reportedly came “marching into the trainer’s room after a loss and thrusting a contract offer sheet into his hands.”
Love has responded to the stress that the NBA puts on his body. He responded by working his tail off when the league was locked out. Even after being sidelined with injury for as long as he was, Love picked up right where he left off, averaging 19.9 ppg and 14.2 rpg so far.
Hard work and all, Love couldn’t catch a break:
“Love will never get over how badly he wanted the designation as the Wolves’ franchise player, how deeply he believed it had been deserved and how Kahn was so smugly defiant in refusing to recognize it.”
Refusing to recognize that the game’s best power forward-who, by the way, is actually proud of being a T’Wolf- as your franchise player only irks him further.
That, among a list of other things,makes me wonder: What exactly was (and more importantly is) Minnesota’s management thinking?
Mohamed Abdihakim is a journalism student at Florida Atlantic University. He is a Phoenix Suns fan, who is not prepared for the possibility of Nash winning a title in a Lakers jersey. Mohamed is also a contributor at “Les Snobs”. Interests include International basketball, Mad Men, and blues music. Nearly all stats are credited to Hoopdata or Basketball-Reference.
Twitter handle: @Abdi_hakim
