‘I just broke down': Kevin Love recounts emotional Tristan Thompson hug during playoffs
(WJW) — Former Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love is always going to have a soft spot for his old team and especially his old teammate Tristan Thompson.
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Now we know more about what happened between the two when they were spotted embracing before a Cavs vs. Miami Heat playoff game in April.
The day prior to the hug, Kevin had announced his father Stan Love had passed away at 76 after a long illness, filling in the blanks for why he had stepped away from playing with the Heat for 'personal reasons.'
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Tristan Thompson, who played with Kevin for six-plus years on the Cavs including during the 2016 championship run, was seen pulling Kevin into a big bear hug during Monday's warmup. In a video posted by Bleacher Report on X, the two appeared to be speaking to one another. Kevin then wiped his face as the two parted.
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Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love, left, and Tristan Thompson give support to teammates from the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 116-113. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 26: Kevin Love #0 celebrates with Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 26, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by)
CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 23: Tristan Thompson #13 and Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react in the first half against the Boston Celtics during Game Four of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on May 23, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by)
In an episode of the Hoda Kotb's podcast 'Making Space' that dropped Wednesday, Kevin discussed the emotional moment.
'We've been through a lot together,' Kevin told Ktob. 'I just kind of approached him and wanted a hug. I missed him in general. Every time that we see each other, a lot of memories come up, both good and, I shouldn't say bad, just some heavy [things] after everything that we had gone through, but I just broke down.'
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The five-time NBA All-Star and dad of two went on to explain he considers Thompson family.
'He had lost his mother and had lost a parent, so he could empathize,' Kevin said in the podcast. 'He had known what I was going through. It was the first real time after the fact where I just let it go, and he was there for me. It's who we are. We show up for each other.'
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The 36-year-old, whose Kevin Love Fund focuses on mental health, said he wants others to know it's OK to be vulnerable, even around other men.
'I'm an unfinished product,' he said. 'That's the beauty of basketball, too. You can wake up every day and and get better, and that's how I'm approaching my mind, my body and my soul.'
While the Cavaliers did win the series against the Heat, they would soon fall to the Indiana Pacers in Round 2 of the playoffs. They too are an unfinished product.
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