In a way it’s amazing to see Love having so much fun with this current squad, with his talents maximized.
But it’s also sad because there was nothing stopping this from happening when LeBron and Kyrie were here. What the hell was their issue with him aside from egomania?
Egomania as you say and worse.
With a guy like LeBron there is a hurricane of expectation, ego and not only the man, but a global product. Everyone and everything is subordinate to his interests. Both in the strategic long-term process, and even the day to day, minute to minute tactical game-day sense. It sucks for everyone else.
With Kyrie, it is increasingly clear that he is a difficult guy with a boundless belief that he is right and everyone is wrong. He is a vortex of angst, anger and irrationality.
The 2014-2018 Era was the most glorious in team history, and amongst the greatest of any team of any time. But boy was it just a torture from the time the off-season started until Game 1 of the playoffs. It was non-stop drama, angst and the subconscious dreading that it could all fall apart at any time. It was a joyless slog much of the time.
Kevin Love has shown that he is very sensitive to these emotional whirlwinds. It was clear he was always being buffeted by these tempests and it took a toll on his game and on his being. But, so long as they were winning banners he put up with it and the competitive satisfaction took the edge off the worst of it.
I really do think his couple seasons of unhappiness following the second LeBron Era were as much about recovery and decompressing from the emotional fallout of being with LeBron and Kyrie as it was the terrible basketball.
This current Cavs team is populated with fresh faces and selfless egos. The FO has put together a team of high character, low maintenance dudes. They are both very talented and good guys. Super rare occurrence. And, as we get older we also find it refreshing to be with younger guys who are still alive with passion, joy and zest for life.
They have but one agenda: Winning.
Handsome Kevin is both happy and fulfilled. Probably in the absolute truest sense for the first time since he entered the NBA. Winning and fun! A first for him starting last season.