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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 4, 2016

Kevin Love

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. Can you reflect on the passing of Muhammad Ali?
KEVIN LOVE: Yeah, it was tough. Obviously I was sad about the news. He was someone my dad always talked about growing up. My dad was a photographer. He always had a different picture to talk about, Ali and Foreman. Foreman said you don't want to live in world without Muhammad Ali (indiscernible).

So he was a very fierce symbol of strength. And he'll be gone but not forgotten, for sure.

Q. Could you ever imagine a player doing what he did now?
KEVIN LOVE: No, he was way ahead of his time because there is a lot to be learned from him away from the sport and also in the sport. He was very fierce in the way he attacked every day. A lot of teaching points from my father were things that Muhammad Ali kind of brought to life. He was way ahead of his time for what he did and what he stood for.

Q. What will be your biggest personal adjustment going into Game 2?
KEVIN LOVE: I think just definitely settling in. We had five or six days off, and being able to adjust on the road. We have to look at our film, we go through walkthrough today, get some shots up. I think we'll be more prepared for Game 2.

Q. How did you feel to play here your very first Finals game?
KEVIN LOVE: It felt good. This is definitely the biggest stage in basketball, The Finals are. So we just come out in Game 2 and get a win.

Q. Was it different from how you imagined it?
KEVIN LOVE: No, it was definitely the big stage, the bright lights, and knowing that we are a worthy opponent and are facing a very tough team and a historic team in the Warriors.

Q. You, LeBron and Irving scored 66 points in Game 1. What else do you think you can do to help the team in Game 2?
KEVIN LOVE: We still need to play better. We missed I think it was 28 paint shots. We had definitely a number of those shots that we usually make, and a few shots from the perimeter too that we can do better. Defensively we still feel that there are a lot of things that we can adjust. Maybe just making a slight change to manage their attack as well and neutralize their bench and different players.

It's something that's easier said than done, but I think the effort level will definitely be there.

Q. You played a little bit closer to the basket compared to usual. Do you like it more this way, or do you prefer being on the perimeter?
KEVIN LOVE: Just being able to be versatile, I think, being able and having the luxury to attack the paint and play a different way is just something that as a team we're able to do. But the Warriors are where they are because they can do it as well and they have a lot of guys off their bench that not only play from the outside and score from the perimeter, their attack is always seen. But like Livingston and Iguodala and those guys, Bogut, who had a number of lay-ups and dunks for them, they scored in a variety of ways.

Q. Does seeing Klay bring back some of those Little League memories?
KEVIN LOVE: Klay always had a very quiet confidence about him. You can kind of look at all the kids knowing that they're special, but there's always been something about Klay that separated him from the rest of the group. He definitely had a father who was the number one pick and played many years for some great teams. So a lot of teaching points, as I mentioned earlier about the Muhammad Ali question.

But he had the size and he got to high school, and I shook my head and said: He's going to be a heck of a player.

Q. Is it kind of surreal being on the stage playing with him?
KEVIN LOVE: Oh, definitely. It's nostalgic. I'm naturally very friendly with him and his family off the floor, but on the floor we want to take each other's heads off.

Q. How eager are you to get back out there?
KEVIN LOVE: Yeah, I think we're all eager. There comes a point where you have the two days in between and you're thinking about it and you're trying to find ways to get away from it while still being locked in.

We come here and we're talking about different adjustments and but now we want to go out there and actually make it happen. You kind of speak it into existence, so you hold yourself accountable, but nothing can really happen until you go out there and finish your opponent.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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