Inside The Heat

Cleveland Cavs Star Donovan Mitchell Makes Ultimate Gesture Toward Kevin Love

Shandel Richardson|
Apr 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shakes hands with Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) after game four for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Apr 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shakes hands with Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) after game four for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had every reason to talk about advancing to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Instead, he wanted to pay respect to his friend.

After Monday's victory clinched the series against the Miami Heat, Mitchell was asked by NBA TV's Dennis Scott about the win. Mitchell chose to begin the interview with a statement about Heat forward Kevin Love, whose father, Stan, died earlier this week. He was 76.

"First of all, I want to give my condolences with Kevin Love and his family," Mitchell said. "That's my dawg. Being a part of a lot success here in Cleveland, my brother, I love you. Just keeping you in my prayers."

Before the game, cameras caught Love embracing with former Cavs teammate Tristan Thompson. Love played a role in Cleveland winning the NBA championship in 2016.

The elder Love averaged 6.8 points and four rebounds in his NBA four-year career. He played for the Washington Bullets and Los Angeles Lakers.

The younger Love honored his father with a heartfelt post on Instagram: Here's what what he wrote:

"Dad, you fought for a long time. The hardest stretch being these past 6 months. The most painful to witness being these last few weeks. And even at the end as you continued to deteriorate - I still saw you as a Giant. My Protector. My first Hero.The words we continuously heard from you in your last chapter were how blessed you’ve been to have such a loving family. And in return how much you’ve loved your wife and kids. 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."

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here