One of LeBron James’ former teammates, a Los Angeles Lakers superstar, recently recalled the players who gave him a tough time throughout his tenure. On Thursday, Nov. 13, NBC Sports on YouTube released a snippet from a recent episode of “The Dan Patrick Show” where Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love was asked about several topics in his accomplished career.
At one point, Love was asked which players gave him the most of his gray hairs. For the 2016 NBA champion, he named former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki and former Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics stalwart Kevin Garnett as two of the NBA legends who gave him a tough time on both ends of the floor, especially during the start of his NBA tenure.
“Defensively, going against Dirk Nowitzki, there was nothing you can do to stop that. And then, I would say on the offensive end, it was probably because I was the fifth pick, I was the new guy in Minnesota, came into the league, Boston was a super power in the East, it was Kevin Garnett. So, those two guys gave me a lot of gray hairs,” Love shared. (1:22)
Love is currently in his 18th season in the league with coach Will Hardy’s Jazz team in the 2025-26 campaign. As a veteran presence for a remarkably young squad, Love has helped Utah to a current overall record of 4-7 that has placed them as the No. 10 seed so far in the West. They are set to face coach Quin Snyder’s Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Nov. 13, next on their home floor.
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Kevin Love Details The Level Of Competition Among Big Men In The NBA In The Late 2000s To The Early 2010s
In the same interview, Kevin Love asserted that the era of big men that he encountered during his first years in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves was one of a kind and may have even contributed to him aging out. He mentioned some of the elite stalwarts he had to face in the league at that time, which consisted of perennial All-Stars and NBA champions like Dirk Nowitzki.
“I also believe in that time frame when I came in 2008-2009 for several years, I mean it was Zach Randolph, it was Pau Gasol, it was Tim Duncan, it was Blake Griffin, it was Lamarcus Aldridge, it was Dirk, and that was just the Western Conference. I’m leaving a number of guys out but at that position, it certainly aged me,” Love explained. (1:54)
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