Mike Love - Nephew like Uncle

[astroray]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/reports-kevin-love-rips-into-teammates-after-latest-loss-010914

[The Shift]

"It's to a point that where those two guys, if and when I did that last year when maybe I didn't sit out for the game for 48 minutes and so on and so forth, they would have killed me. They would have aired me out. It's two guys we expect more from them, and I think they expect more from themselves. . . . I'm not trying to single anybody out, and I don't want to make it bigger than it is. That was a team we needed to beat tonight. Even guys that didn't play any minutes, we need to have a team on the bench that's really in it together."

I'm glad Uncle Mike expresses himself in lyrics better than that!

[Cam Mott]

This is probably crazy, but perhaps he takes after his father. [cough]

[Micha]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/reports-kevin-love-rips-into-teammates-after-latest-loss-010914

So what?

[the captain]

This is basketball, not BBs, so if the thread should be moved, fine by me.

Being a huge basketball fan in Minnesota, I see virtually every game on television and occasionally live. And being a huge basketball fan regardless of location, I actually also watched Kevin Love as much as possible in his year at UCLA and high school games, whenever possible (such as when he was here for a showcase event, assorted all-star games, etc). And I have to say, he is a fantastic player who has improved his game and body tremendously. But his attitude and body language on the court, as well as media presence, is really rubbing me the wrong way the past year and a half or so. Whenever he doesn't get a call, he literally stops playing to complain to the ref, even if the rest of the teams are running the other way. His defense is weak. He pouts. He whines.

Even this most recent incident: he calls out other players for exhibiting the same kind of disinterest he has shown in the past, brews up a media story in the process, then responds immediately afterward with comments about how they need to keep it internal, private, etc.

It's a tough position for the Wolves, because he is easily the second-best player we've ever had in our 25 years (he is not as good as Kevin Garnett). But it is widely known he was furious not to get a full max contract--a move former GM David Kahn made to preserve flexibility to potentially sign PG Ricky Rubio to that contract--and has been speculated to desire a return to the west coast (probably Lakers) ever since. On one hand, we need him. On the other, we probably have no leverage to keep him if he doesn't want to be here. That means we'll likely end up trading him for pennies on the dollar just to keep him from walking for nothing in return.

Being a Wolves fan is no easy task (though at least we blew away the woeful Bobcats last night!).

[filledeplage]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/reports-kevin-love-rips-into-teammates-after-latest-loss-010914

So what?

IMHO - Kids are "off limits."

I have a kid that age.  Let him do his thing, grow, make his own mistakes, be his own person.  

"So what?" is right, Micha!

Bravo!  

[the captain]

I'd agree that kids are off limits, at least in their role as kids and especially while literally kids (i.e., minors). But in this case my criticism at least is aimed squarely at the adult man in his own right, with no relation to his being the son or nephew of anyone else. (Can't speak for others' posts, and the subject itself obviously makes the connection explicitly.)

[SMiLE Brian]

Captain, I am a wolves fan as well!

[the captain]

It's a hard-knock life for us, it's a hard-knock life for us...

[SMiLE Brian]

Got that right, the days of Garnett, Cassell, and Sprewell are long gone.

[the captain]

Got that right, the days of Garnett, Cassell, and Sprewell are long gone.

The days? The season ... it only really held together that one time! This era has been snakebitten by injuries (so far). Fingers crossed. But hey, I was a fan at the very beginning. If I can take seasons with Tony Campbell as the go-to guy, or worse yet, deal with the JR Rider era, I figure I can enjoy the Love-as-star era with a borderline playoff team. Besides, whether he can shoot or not, I just love Rubio's game and demeanor.

For those of you who don't care about basketball in the slightest, sorry for the non-Beach Boys sidebar.

[retrokid67]

It's a hard-knock life for us, it's a hard-knock life for us...

what a coincidence I was just playing that song on my clarinet, my school's putting that show on in a couple of months 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I make it point to look at his numbers from Dallas. His numbers are impressive on their own. I didn't know about his attitude. I figured it was good because I never see a technical foul listed in his name. I think you can win a championship with him if you put the right people around him. Like Dirk a 25 point 10 rebounds guy but poor defense. He needs a defensive center like Tyson Chandler next to him. However, I don't know about the attitude. He could just be frustrated. Dirk is one of a kind in that area. He has an ego of 0. He is a Mav for life and next year willing to take a low pay to make room for another super star. Tim Duncan like that as well. Very rare indeed. Kevins attitude is normal in the NBA. I mean, who wants to live in Minnesota, when you can live on the west coast?

[Magic Transistor Radio]

 I will also add that Minnesota is the whitest team in the NBA. Maybe that's why they struggle to stay above .500   

[the captain]

I mean, who wants to live in Minnesota, when you can live on the west coast?

Hey now! You'd have a hard time getting me to move. I love Minneapolis (and I've spent time on the west coast for work and leisure, so it isn't as if I've never experienced anything else). Winters can be rough, but they're usually tolerable, and I think our distinct seasons are a plus, not a minus. (Last week's -25 temps and -40 wind chills had me questioning that, though.)

You're right about the basketball side, though: Love needs to play with a rim protector, and never really has before. First he was teamed with Al Jefferson, then Nikola Pekovic. Both are very good players, roughly 20-and-10 guys. But neither is long, neither blocks or alters a lot of shots, neither is particularly nimble. So while both complement Love offensively with their low post skills, they are redundant with him defensively. A Chandler, an Omer Asik, a DeAndre Jordan (though he's so mentally incompetent I'd prefer to use him in theory only, not reality) would be a much better match overall.

As for the white thing, I know you're joking, but don't give that any credence at all. I believe the racial differences in sports are more about the typical cultures from which players come than actual physical qualities. E.g., most hockey players are white. Does this mean people of other backgrounds are incapable of the physical demands? No, it's just not a part of the typical black community. The inverse is true of basketball. And the "white" way to play basketball, with an emphasis on structure and system, isn't the type of basketball that the population likes. (NBA rules and marketing both bear this out: the country loves an uptempo, flashy style.) So that segment of the population is being taught as they're raised to play a game that has an inherent dead end, whereas the more expressive and improvisational styles are rewarded. This isn't a style judgment, by the way, but an observation. Further, in poor communities, basketball (and to a lesser extent football, or artistic endeavors like music) are seen as the most realistic way to achieve success and are given disproportionate importance by those communities, whereas more affluent communities (i.e. white) tend to demonstrate diverse opportunities.

[Jim Rockford]

It must be a Love thang. 

[astroray]

I saw his dad play, that's how old I am!

[the captain]

I never saw Stan play, but I am beginning to show my age as I recognize my second generation of players: I saw the fathers of pros like Tim Hardaway, Jr., Glen Rice, Jr., Gerald Henderson, Austin Rivers, Phil Pressey, Patrick Ewing, Jr., John Lucas III, etc. Time flies...

[Andrew G. Doe]

Just a thought, but one that, I feel, has some small merit: is it not, perchance, possible that Kevin Love is entirely capable of begin a complete asshole all on his own, without any genetic input from other branches of the family ?

Also, remember his grandmother Emily (Mike's & Stanley's mom) was a Wilson...  

[Pretty Funky]

True.

But the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I mean, who wants to live in Minnesota, when you can live on the west coast?

Hey now! You'd have a hard time getting me to move. I love Minneapolis (and I've spent time on the west coast for work and leisure, so it isn't as if I've never experienced anything else). Winters can be rough, but they're usually tolerable, and I think our distinct seasons are a plus, not a minus. (Last week's -25 temps and -40 wind chills had me questioning that, though.)

You're right about the basketball side, though: Love needs to play with a rim protector, and never really has before. First he was teamed with Al Jefferson, then Nikola Pekovic. Both are very good players, roughly 20-and-10 guys. But neither is long, neither blocks or alters a lot of shots, neither is particularly nimble. So while both complement Love offensively with their low post skills, they are redundant with him defensively. A Chandler, an Omer Asik, a DeAndre Jordan (though he's so mentally incompetent I'd prefer to use him in theory only, not reality) would be a much better match overall.

As for the white thing, I know you're joking, but don't give that any credence at all. I believe the racial differences in sports are more about the typical cultures from which players come than actual physical qualities. E.g., most hockey players are white. Does this mean people of other backgrounds are incapable of the physical demands? No, it's just not a part of the typical black community. The inverse is true of basketball. And the "white" way to play basketball, with an emphasis on structure and system, isn't the type of basketball that the population likes. (NBA rules and marketing both bear this out: the country loves an uptempo, flashy style.) So that segment of the population is being taught as they're raised to play a game that has an inherent dead end, whereas the more expressive and improvisational styles are rewarded. This isn't a style judgment, by the way, but an observation. Further, in poor communities, basketball (and to a lesser extent football, or artistic endeavors like music) are seen as the most realistic way to achieve success and are given disproportionate importance by those communities, whereas more affluent communities (i.e. white) tend to demonstrate diverse opportunities.

I am sort of joking about the white thing. But most of the best white players aren't from the US. Love is an exception, but most star white guys are from Europe.

As for a place to live, I am talking about the nba superstars want to go to New York, L.A. or Miami. Even Dallas is way down the list. We had to trade for most of our guys.

On the record, I am a Kevin Love fan. I am routing for him mainly for the Beach Boys connection. I hope he helps build a winner in Minnesota, though. I hate it when Lebron left Cleveland, or Shaq left Orlando, etc to win on a big market. The Spurs are the Mavs arch rival, but I have come to respect their franchise and the selfless players. Super stars don't want to live in San Antonio either.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I'm thinking we will see Uncle Mike at a lot of Laker games starting next year.

[Micha]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/reports-kevin-love-rips-into-teammates-after-latest-loss-010914

So what?

IMHO - Kids are "off limits."

While I read your post as agreeing with me, I don't get what you mean with "Kids are off limits." I didn't read anything about children in that article... I'm probably dumb. 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/reports-kevin-love-rips-into-teammates-after-latest-loss-010914

So what?

IMHO - Kids are "off limits."

While I read your post as agreeing with me, I don't get what you mean with "Kids are off limits." I didn't read anything about children in that article... I'm probably dumb. 

I think he means children or extended family of the Beach Boys. For the most part, I agree, but Kevin Love is a public figure, so I don't think its wrong to discuss him.

[filledeplage]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/reports-kevin-love-rips-into-teammates-after-latest-loss-010914

So what?

IMHO - Kids are "off limits."

While I read your post as agreeing with me, I don't get what you mean with "Kids are off limits." I didn't read anything about children in that article... I'm probably dumb. 

I think he means children or extended family of the Beach Boys. For the most part, I agree, but Kevin Love is a public figure, so I don't think its wrong to discuss him.

Technically, they are adults.  But when family enter into a high profile occupation, where there are relatives in another high profile occupation, there is a tendency to over-focus on them and hold them to a higher and unfair standard.  He isn't a kid, Kevin is a nephew.  But the same age as one of my kids, so I have another perception.  I don't think it is entirely fair for kids to be always be compared to their parents, in terms of what they do, whether it is good or bad.  They are their own persons.  They like to make it on their own.  Even Nicholas Cage doesn't use Coppola. He wants his own identity, even as a nephew.