Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
NBA Fans Send Love To Miami Heat Star Kevin Love
Jun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love (0) speaks to media following game two of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

While Kevin Love is no longer in his prime, the former UCLA star still remains one of the most famous players in the NBA.

Recently, the Miami Heat forward made a personal announcement on Instagram.

Love wrote: "The Love family is deeply saddened by the loss of Brian Wilson. A musical and creative genius. He was revolutionary in his songwriting and arranging. Growing up around my uncle Mike and The Beach Boys I absorbed much of their influence within Rock & Roll.

My Dad and Brian had a special relationship. Brian often staying with my parents when they lived in Emerald Bay. For a period of time my Dad was both his caretaker and bodyguard - particularly during a period when Brian was struggling with mental health and substance abuse. Dad would tell stories of getting him out of the house and onto the basketball court at the local YMCA. I have fond memories of the countless original slides and photos of Brian that my family would often share with us - (you can see them hooping together in the 2nd photo).

I personally admire Brian’s true creative resilience despite mental health challenges. Beauty amid turmoil. We can all stand to learn from that. His impact, not just in music, is felt across many generations and will be for generations to come.

Condolences to the Wilson family. We will forever play the emotional sympathies and honor the legacy of Brian. ️"

There were over 56,000 likes on Love's post.

Many fans sent love to the 36-year-old.

@hey.shanna: "The Beach Boys were my first concert around 8 years old and the good vibrations never wore off. Sending peace to your family "

@jakediba: "Wow I had no idea you two were related through Mike Love. Never made that connection. My condolences"

@phinfanone: "Beautiful tribute. Condolences to you and the extended family. "

@mersto: "Thinking of you and your whole family! The Beach Boys were my first concert, post their Full House appearance too! ❤️"

@jordansalcito: "What a beautiful tribute ️ and so thoughtfully said, my heart is with you"

@jeremytache: "Sending love to you and your family. And, of course, love the song choice."

Love has also spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers.

He won the 2016 NBA Championship with the Cavs.


This article first appeared on Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Ex-NBA player Sebastian Telfair hoping for pardon from Donald Trump
NBA

Ex-NBA player Sebastian Telfair hoping for pardon from Donald Trump

Sebastian Telfair is preparing to serve six months in prison but is hoping for some help from President Donald Trump. Telfair was among the former NBA players who were charged in 2021 with defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan of approximately $358,000 in fake medical and dental claims. The former first-round pick was initially given a three-year suspended sentence that involved supervised release. But he violated the terms of his suspended sentence, which led to him being sentenced in June to six months in prison. Telfair was getting ready to report to prison and pleaded for the president to step in and pardon him. “Trump, go check in on my story and you’re definitely going to want to pardon me. You’ll hold me accountable and want me to continue to go do good. But I did too good to being sending anybody to jail,” Telfair argued in comments to a reporter from TMZ. Telfair contends that his recent issue is due to a paperwork problem. He feels the resulting sentence he’s received is “super unfair.” Whether President Trump is able to hear his case and pardon him remains to be seen, but Telfair is definitely trying. Telfair, 40, is from Brooklyn, N.Y., and developed a big following as a teenager due to his strong basketball play. He was the No. 13 overall pick in 2004 by Portland and began his career with them as a 19-year-old straight out of high school. Telfair played 10 seasons in the NBA and spent time with eight different teams. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 assists per game during his career.

Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
NFL

Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers

The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.

Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
NFL

Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart

The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite an interesting quarterback room for the 2025 season. Of course, all the focus is truly on Aaron Rodgers and what he can bring to the team at this stage in his career. Behind him, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph serving as the primary backup. Skylar Thompson and Will Howard are competing for the third spot on the depth chart, but unfortunately for Howard, an injury has slowed his progress. Thompson took advantage of the opportunity, performing well in the first preseason game and possibly reclaiming the QB3 role. Before his injury, Howard had previously moved ahead of Thompson in the competition. Former teammate of Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger, recently shared his honest thoughts about the veteran quarterback’s performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger, who spent years with Rudolph during his time in Pittsburgh, had a unique perspective on how his former understudy handled the game. While Roethlisberger acknowledged there were some areas where Rudolph could improve, he also praised his composure, decision-making, and ability to move the offense when needed. Roethlisberger discussed Rudolph’s performance on his Footbahlin podcast, noting that the veteran looked confident and in control despite limited opportunities. "You know I thought Mason [Rudolph] played really well," Roethlisberger said on his podcast. "I thought he did exactly what you would hope to see from your backup quarterback. He went out there I think, he solidified himself… as the two." He pointed out that Rudolph’s familiarity with the Steelers’ system allows him to step in without disrupting the flow of the offense. With Rodgers leading the way, Rudolph providing a steady backup presence, and the QB3 competition between Thompson and Howard continuing, the Steelers’ quarterback depth will be a storyline worth following as the 2025 season approaches. "Let’s see how he does this week and the next week," Roethlisberger said. "I thought he played really well. I thought he was efficient with the ball. He threw the ball down the field. As a team, you like seeing that because that gives you confidence going into the season that if something were to happen one game for Aaron… you have a guy that you feel confident who could go in there. Same thing when we had Charlie Batch, you had Bruce Gradkowski, you had Byron Leftwich, you had Dennis Dixon and Josh Dobbs. Any of those guys. You just feel confident he can go in and just get it done for you." Roethlisberger had high praise for Rudolph, and hearing him mention him alongside names like Charlie Batch shows he has faith in Rudolph’s ability to be a reliable backup in Pittsburgh. There is a strong argument that Rudolph is one of the most dependable backup quarterbacks in the NFL, which is a significant asset for the Steelers in the 2025 season. Steelers' Mason Rudolph Has Great Preseason Game Versus Jaguars Rudolph only attempted 10 passes on Saturday night against the Jaguars, but completed 90 percent of them. He threw for 84 yards and one touchdown. While preseason football can be difficult to evaluate, he performed well in roughly a quarter and some change of action. His efficiency and composure reinforced the notion that the Steelers have one of the league’s most steady and trustworthy backup quarterbacks heading into the regular season. Roethlisberger is confident Rudolph has now locked up his spot as QB2 for the 2025 season. Steelers fans are now super eager to get updates on when Howard will be back from his injury. Howard and Thompson will fight for the QB3 spot. What grade would you give Rudolph for his preseason outing against the Jaguars?

Cowboys' DaRon Bland Reveals Camp Secret And New Contract Talk Details
NFL

Cowboys' DaRon Bland Reveals Camp Secret And New Contract Talk Details

The Dallas Cowboys' secondary has been a big concern all offseason, with injuries and a lack of depth plaguing the unit. And when you have to go against CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, that is nightmare fuel for any defense, let alone one that is the walking wounded as training camp winds down. But there are big benefits to going against an elite tandem, and one who has seen his fair share of No. 88 and No. 3 is corner DaRon Bland. And he's relishing the chance to go against the star duo day in, day out. “It never let you get complacent,” Bland said, revealing his camp secret of success. “It always give you something to work on because it's every day there's something to work on. So going against guys like that, you can never just sit back.” Given that the Cowboys and Bland face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, the NFC East rivals have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, so it is good preparation for Matt Eberflus' defense. Still, Lamb and Pickens, for the most part, have had their way with Dallas' secondary, with CeeDee stating no one has given him any trouble at all throughout camp, which is quite the statement. For Bland, it is iron sharpens iron, and going against Lamb and Pickens will hopefully hold him and the rest of the secondary in good stead for when they face the Eagles to open the season. Meanwhile, Bland continues to express hope that he'll get rewarded for his work with a Cowboys contract extension. On Tuesday, Bland said there have been some contined talks with his agent and added that he’d like to get a new deal done before the season. “Hopefully,'' he said. Along the way? Never getting complacent. That is what Bland is preaching, going against the star-studded duo, and with so much weaponry across from him every day, come Week 1, we think the pick-six king will be more than ready for what Philadelphia has to throw at him.