For the past few months, Kevin Love had been in-and-out of the Miami Heat squad. His unavailability was due to personal reasons. As it turns out, Love was spending some precious moments with his father, Stan. Today, the Heat forward announced the painful passing of his father. A man he describes as his “hero”, Love wrote a touching monologue to celebrate the life of his 76-year-old dad.

“You have undoubtedly been my greatest teacher. A role often served by a Father figure. You taught me admirable qualities like respect & kindness. Humor & wit. Ambition & work ethic. Grit & aggressive will. The insight that failure brings. And that time is our most precious commodity,” he wrote in his tribute.

Love describes the past week as the most “painful to witness”. But it also allowed him to heal. Kevin Love admitted he and his father had a few differences throughout life. In the end, though, it all seemed futile. Love credits Stan for putting a basketball in his hand. The 76-year-old was a former NBA player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs in his four seasons of professional basketball.

So in these few months of impending sorrow, Kevin Love decided to express the fond love he shares for Stanley Love. In January, he donned a University of Oregon jacket. Being a Bruin, it confused several of his former teammates. However, in his interview with GQ, he revealed the significance of paying homage to his father.

“He was the person that handed me the ball before I could walk, and helped me establish my first love, which is basketball. It was just my way of showing love to my father and keeping his memory alive of how great of a basketball player he was and how beloved of a player he was at the University of Oregon, so I know he loves seeing that,” Kevin Love shared.

He described Stan Love’s game to be “ahead of his time”. The former Oregon big man was athletic, with a particular knack for shooting the ball before the three-point revolution. At the University, he held the record for the highest single-season scoring average, where he became a decorated prospect before being drafted 9th overall by the Baltimore Bullets in 1971.

His genes surely passed on to Love, who became one of the most prolific rebounding forwards during his peak years. And now, as he reminisces on Stan Love’s impact, all Kevin Love can feel is pride. “Dad, I’m so proud to be your son. My only hope is that you’re proud of me. It was all I ever wanted. Thank you for everything,” he mentioned in his heartfelt tribute.

Kevin Love’s tribute touched the NBA community

A range of support came to the surface once Kevin Love shared his raw emotions. Several of his former teammates, such as Isaiah Thomas, offered their condolences. Even Michael Jordan’s son, Jeffrey, showed his support, leaving a comment ““last lesson…” #bars,”. The lesson of being at peace is what Kevin Love considers to be his dad’s greatest gift.

Others, such as former Lakers forward Matt Barnes, also came to Love’s support. “Condolences,” he wrote as Love poured out his emotions in the Instagram post. While Stan Love may not have had the longest NBA career, he imparted all the key lessons to Kevin Love. Using them, he has now played 17 years in the NBA.

But more than the impact on his basketball career, Love remembers the times they spent as father and son. It may not have always been great, but that journey helped Kevin Love heal his soul. Empathizing with the pain he must feel on losing the guiding hand of his father, the likes of Steve Nash and Rudy Gay left heart emoticons to offer strength to the Heat forward.

Some, though, were moved by Love’s unfiltered emotions. In his reaction to the post, Myers Leonard wrote, “Damn. So emotional, so real. That takes serious courage. Sorry for the loss of your father,”. It’s a time of sorrow and grief for Kevin Love and his family. However, he is grateful to have had these years with his father.

And despite their rocky relationship at times, he got to fulfill his father’s final wish. “Your only wish was to be at home surrounded by your family when you took your dying breath. That breath came. And now it’s time to rest,” Love concluded.