Minnesota Sports Forum

I finally figured this out. Media has got this all wrong again. Love will not accept an apology when he knows now that nothing intentional was done.

The difference is that the play didn't take place under the basket. It was going after a loose ball towards the sideline that Olynyk had zero chance to get and Love was steps away from corralling. He definitely had intent to grab him and pull his arm. He likely didn't mean to seriously injure Love, but it was definitely on purpose.

Camden wrote:The difference is that the play didn't take place under the basket. It was going after a loose ball towards the sideline that Olynyk had zero chance to get and Love was steps away from corralling. He definitely had intent to grab him and pull his arm. He likely didn't mean to seriously injure Love, but it was definitely on purpose.

Both players are still in the painted area when the grab occurs. And as far as "whether it's on purpose or not", the response here is who gives a crap. Every grab, arm bar, elbow, etc is a deliberate move in basketball....by every player...on every possession. Find me a possession where something like this doesn't occur. The only thing that needs to be understood is whether there was intent to injure. In watching the video now a bunch of times, there is no way this was anything more than a typical scrum for a loose ball. It was a foul....no more, no less.

Both players are out of the paint chasing a loose ball that Olynyk has no chance at getting when Love reacts in pain, which is when the injury is thought to have occurred. I'm not sure what you're looking at, but at 0:05 (and 0:11 on replay) in this video, Olynyk is still grabbing Love's arm. Basketball play? Nah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-V7UhbTfPE

Ya, I just watched it and it was clean up until Olynyk realized he had no shot at the ball and proceeded to wrap both arms around Love's arm and then pull. He practically arm barred him to get him away from the ball. There was no intent to injure Love, but lets not pretend that's a normal play. I've never seen someone wrap up with both arms like an NFL tackle and pull to prevent a guy from getting to a ball that he wasn't even close to. You clear the way for the body cut off with the initial shoulder pull back and clear the arm so you can get your body in front of him. You don't just straight up arm bar him so he can't go get the ball. If it were a common play more guys would get injured like Love did.

I dont fault love for not wanting olynyk's apology. Yes, it wasn't intentional and olynyk is sincere in his apology but it doesn't change the fact that it was a reckless, foul and dirty play on his part and it cost love surgery, 6 months of recovery and the his 1st post season experience.

I dont see why love should just accept his apology and how not accepting it is bad for his character. This is sports but it was a dirty play. Olynyk should feel bad for that.

Also, I dont see a jordan, kobe, westbrook, chris paul or even our own kg accepting an apology if the same happened to them. Love has no obligation to accept olynyk's apology and we have no right to judge his character ifor it.

worldK wrote:I dont fault love for not wanting olynyk's apology. Yes, it wasn't intentional and olynyk is sincere in his apology but it doesn't change the fact that it was a reckless, foul and dirty play on his part and it cost love surgery, 6 months of recovery and the his 1st post season experience.

I dont see why love should just accept his apology and how not accepting it is bad for his character. This is sports but it was a dirty play. Olynyk should feel bad for that.

Also, I dont think a jordan, kobe, westbrook, chris paul or even our own kg accepting an apology if the same happened to them. Love has no obligation to accept olynyk's apology and we have no right to judge his character ifor it.

World- This Olynyk/Love incident in and of itself is a silly little incident that doesn't by itself define Kevin Love's character. I think Love's character was defined long ago.

longstrangetrip wrote:

World- This Olynyk/Love incident in and of itself is a silly little incident that doesn't by itself define Kevin Love's character. I think Love's character was defined long ago.

Lst, Im staying on topic with the thread title. I dont fault love for this particular incident. I dont think you can add this incident as another shot at love's 'character' He was not in the wrong here and owe no one to accept olynyk's apology. In fact, I think any high character guys in the league would have acted the same way as love or express the same frustrations. Its the playoffs and the cavs have a shot at the title and you have the chance to test free agency in the off season. This incident should not be used to further take shots at love.

Love hurt his shoulder but it might as well have been his butt, because he is straight up butt-hurt.

Look at what happened to him: despite having a year left on his contract, after which he could go anywhere he wanted, he basically forced the Wolves to trade him. As it turns out he saw an opportunity to hitch his wagon to two superstars, one being arguably the greatest player of all time. Do I blame him for this? Not really. But I think players with greater character would have tried to make it work here, or at the very least played out the final year of their contract, not demanded a trade from a team that wants you to stay.

Now fast forward to this season: Love's numbers plummet. There are rumblings of trouble with teammates, including Lebron. His role never gets defined. He's hurt on and off. And on top of all that Wiggins starts killing it, and anyone with two eyes starts questioning whether Cleveland made the right move or not in trading him (by the end of next season it will be crystal clear they didn't).

Despite all this, Love starts playing a little better at the end of the season and has a strong start to the playoffs. Then he gets hurt and that chance at redemption is now gone. Add all this up and combine it with Love's enormous ego and you get the Olynyk situation: Love needs to blame someone for a nightmare season.

So in conclusion, Love is butt-hurt, and frankly I find it amusing and don't feel bad for him at all.

And we got Wiggins. 'Nuff said.

Mstermisty wrote:Love hurt his shoulder but it might as well have been his butt, because he is straight up butt-hurt.

Look at what happened to him: despite having a year left on his contract, after which he could go anywhere he wanted, he basically forced the Wolves to trade him. As it turns out he saw an opportunity to hitch his wagon to two superstars, one being arguably the greatest player of all time. Do I blame him for this? Not really. But I think players with greater character would have tried to make it work here, or at the very least played out the final year of their contract, not demanded a trade from a team that wants you to stay.

Now fast forward to this season: Love's numbers plummet. There are rumblings of trouble with teammates, including Lebron. His role never gets defined. He's hurt on and off. And on top of all that Wiggins starts killing it, and anyone with two eyes starts questioning whether Cleveland made the right move or not in trading him (by the end of next season it will be crystal clear they didn't).

Despite all this, Love starts playing a little better at the end of the season and has a strong start to the playoffs. Then he gets hurt and that chance at redemption is now gone. Add all this up and combine it with Love's enormous ego and you get the Olynyk situation: Love needs to blame someone for a nightmare season.

So in conclusion, Love is butt-hurt, and frankly I find it amusing and don't feel bad for him at all.

And we got Wiggins. 'Nuff said.

Nobody has captured the Kevin Love saga more fairly and concisely than this...nice work, Misty!