Kevin Love’s return to glory with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Kevin Love’s selfless future with the Cleveland Cavaliers

The franchise has worked itself into a position for long-term success, with a timeline of numerous 23-and-under stars that might not be ready to compete by the time Love is phased out of the NBA.

Mobley has looked like a future superstar, but he’s only 20. Garland is breaking out, and so is Allen, but the two of them are hardly scratching the surface of their potential. The same goes for Okoro, who is far from a finished product.

Then, there is Collin Sexton. The high-scoring guard is sidelined for the remainder of the season and it is unclear if he will be returning to the team once his contract is up this summer.

Yet, Sexton is one of the most talented assets on the roster and will undoubtedly play a role in shaping Cleveland’s future.

All the while, Love is entering his mid-30s and has a long history of injury concerns. He has proven he can currently play at an elite level as a sixth man, but it is likely Love will no longer be there to reap the benefits of whatever this young core eventually blossoms into.

In just a year, Love has gone from a disgruntled, aging star to a selfless, veteran leader who is honorably passing the torch, or at least lighting the way, for the next generation of Cleveland basketball. Something he was perhaps just not ready to handle last year.

"“We’re not going to stop. We know we’re gonna try and compartmentalize that and keep it at a distance because we want to enjoy this in the moment now, but there’s definitely something that is bringing a lot of joy here and a lot of fun outside of just winning. I think it’s building something bigger than ourselves for sure” Love speaks on the Cavaliers’ goals via Cleveland.com"

Love officially moved into 10th on Cleveland’s all-time scoring list this month and is solidifying his status as a Cavalier legend who will ultimately have his jersey hanging in the rafters.