Kevin Love responded with grace to the comparison made by sports show host Dan Patrick, who likened him to NCAA’s current star Cooper Flagg. Patrick made this comparison while projecting the young player’s future in the NBA.
Love was a five-time NBA All-Star. Early in his NBA career, he was a rebounding machine. Coming from UCLA, he was the 5th overall pick in the 2008 Draft.
It wasn’t exactly a compliment
On The Dan Patrick Show on Peacock and Fox Sports Radio, the host stated:
“When you start looking at player comparisons, which we do, you’re automatically going to look at a white guy who’s about 6-foot-8… Now, listed at 6-foot-9, is he a Larry Bird-type player? If you said his career would be like Kevin Love’s, would that be a disappointment? And it probably would be.”
Kevin Love is currently in his 17th season as a professional NBA player. He won a championship with the Cavaliers, earned two All-NBA selections, and received the Most Improved Player award in the 2010-11 season.
For those who will take this as a shot at me…I don’t take it as such. I was pure skill & will. Cooper is far more talented than I ever was and if he stays healthy will have a far better career. He could very well have a statue by the time he’s finished. I’m a HUGE fan. https://t.co/aEv6G8gbR8
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) March 28, 2025
Regarding Cooper Flagg, Patrick commented:
“This is someone who played against the Olympic team and held his own… He’s 18 years old. He’s going to make a billion dollars if he stays healthy. He’ll probably get a couple of max contracts, but he’s Keith Van Horn, who was the No. 2 overall pick out of Utah in his draft year.”
In response to Patrick’s comment, Kevin Love remained composed. In fact, he wrote on his X account:
“For those who will take this as a shot at me… I don’t see it that way… It was pure skill and will. Cooper is far more talented than I ever was, and if he stays healthy, he’ll have a much better career. He might even have a statue when it’s all said and done. I’m a BIG fan.”
