SWENSDAY STUFF
Kevin Love Joins the 30/30 Club. Surprise?
Swen Nater

Have you ever seen video of a Cheetah catching a Gazelle? It’s an amazing site. The Cheetah runs upwards of 60 miles an hour, faster than any Gazelle. To attempt escape, the Gazelle changes direction but, when doing so, only momentarily increases the separation by a foot or so. The Cheetah kicks it into another gear and closes in again, its feet moving so fast they become a blur. After three or four twists and turns, the drooling pursuer is only a foot away and, with a bounding leap, tackles its prey, clamps its teeth on the back, throws it down to the ground, and makes the kill. For both, it’s a matter of life and death. The Gazelle is running for its life while the Cheetah needs a meal to survive. 

When I see the Cheetah catching the Gazelle, I’m not surprised. When I learned Kevin Love scored 31 points and grabbed 31 rebounds in a game, I wasn’t surprised either. You see, I know Kevin and I know he goes after rebounds like a Cheetah to the kill. He aggressively hunts missed shots like he’s going after prey that is trying to escape. And, like the Cheetah, he fully expects to win. 

But there’s a difference between Kevin Love and the Cheetah; the Cheetah never has competition. It’s one-on-one. For Kevin, it’s like nine other Cheetahs are after the same Gazelle. Not only does he have to get the ball, he has to get there first. 

And, there’s a difference between Kevin Love and the other Cheetahs. Kevin is not really a Cheetah at all. He’s not as quick and fast and he can’t leap like them. Then how does he grab 31 rebounds against players that are athletically more talented than he? 

The answer is: He’s smarter and he wants the ball more. He thinks rebound long before the athletes do. He gets the early start and, by the time the others begin their pursuit, he’s already got the ball in his hands. There are times he makes all the others look like they’re standing around. 

Kevin Love is now in the elite 30/30 club, joining Moses Malone, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and me.
 
It has been mentioned, I had an influence on Kevin. The truth is, Tom Lubin and I worked him out one time for about two hours. How much can you teach a person in two hours? With Kevin, you can teach more than most because he’s like a sponge. When we showed him how to battle for position with the thighs, hips, and feet, he said, “Show me that again. How did you do that?” For two hours it was question after question, try after try. I don’t believe I’ve seen anyone with such a hunger to learn and respect for the knowledge of those that have gone before. Perhaps he learned a thing or two that day but we all know, to truly learn something, you have to do it. And that’s what Kevin Love has done.
 
When he played at UCLA, I knew Kevin was the best player in the country. The scouts didn’t think so because he wasn’t a Cheetah. What they didn’t know was, Kevin Love has a gut that craves missed shots, the heart that will not let anyone get to that ball first, and a work ethic that refuses to be outdone. That’s why it doesn’t surprise me he entered the 30/30 club. But he’s not done. Don’t be surprised if he doest it again, perhaps this season.