Kevin Love Claims Credit for Duncan Robinson’s Outburst in Heat’s Red Hot Win Streak

The Miami Heat continues their winning streak by securing a victory over the Nets tonight. When it looked like Brooklyn might see a repeat of November 1, the Heat took charge. Halftime saw Butler and the team drive a fiery streak to get that 122-115 win. There was someone else who got much attention in tonight’s game – Duncan Robinson.

Going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, Robinson had signed with the Heat for the Summer League. Since then, he has stuck with Miami until he signed a 5-year $90 million deal in 2021. It became the largest contract in the NBA for an undrafted player.

Duncan Robinson shines in tonight’s game

But it was worth it. Robinson has proved time and again he is a perfect addition to the high-fueled Miami Heat. However, it looks like his teammate, Kevin Love, has claimed the credit for today’s hot run.

Duncan Robinson has mentioned on multiple occasions how Love’s arrival has changed the locker room chemistry between the guys. Having had to go through a rough patch since his Cavaliers days, Kev is not the superstar he once was. But he brings a lot of experience to the team.

And it is this which Robinson alludes to. Talking about the impact he has had on the team, Robinson is in awe of Love’s magic. When asked about it on the Old Man and Three podcast, he said, “I think he totally changed the whole dynamic of our locker room.” He truly did. Even when Coach Spoelstra left Kevin Love out of the final two games of the Eastern Conference Finals series, he didn’t make a fuss out of it.

“When you have a guy who’s played in four NBA Finals, won a championship, get pulled from a rotation in the middle of a series. And his immediate reaction is uplifting the guy that’s replacing him. That alone set the tone down the line for everybody else,” Robinson added. Well, that’s who Kevin Love is. So why don’t we do a quick run backward?

Kevin Love’s NBA run

Born to a former NBA big man, Stan Love, Kevin knew his way around basketball early on. His run with NBA top names, a powerful scorer in his own right, and an elite rebounder, Love brings a mix of talents to the Heat. Going back a few years will show us a 20-year-old Love announcing his intent to join the 2008 NBA draft.

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He was immediately drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies owing to his star potential and NBA DNA. Soon traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with a few other players, Love would spend time with the Wolves for six seasons. His scoring and rebounding skills were on full display. Ranking first in the offensive rebound percentage, Kevin became the first rookie since Olajuwon (1984-85) to do so in the NBA.

His time with Minnesota gave way to a lot of accolades. From being the best rebounder in his rookie season (getting ahead of Dwight Howard even), scoring 15 straight double-doubles at the beginning of the season, (again, a feat achieved only by Olajuwon prior to this) to defeating Kevin Durant in the 3-point contest, Kevin Love was in full bloom.

By the summer of 2014, he was traded to the Cavaliers, where he would go on to form an impromptu Big 3 with LeBron and Irving. That stint got him his first title in 2016 and a Finals appearance four times. From 2018, Love had to face a lot of troubles. From major injuries to even a clash with the then-head coach, Beilein.

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And the rest is history. Heat now has a heavily experienced veteran amongst them and it has only spelled good things for them. Hopefully, they can continue the same.