Miami Heat forward Kevin Love was there for Game 4 Monday night in Miami, less than 24 hours after announcing his father’s death from Oregon. So Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson, Love’s former teammate in Cleveland, did what anyone would do upon seeing a friend in grief.
He gave Love a hug.
This, though, doesn’t often happen on the court before an NBA playoff game, and so this particular display of warmth between opposing players is resonating nationally.
The pregame image of Love and Thompson has proven to be as touching as the final score was ugly when Cleveland closed out its 2025 NBA playoff series against the Heat with a 138-83 win in Miami. The video of their lengthy embrace already had more than 4.3 million views on X as of Tuesday morning.
Kevin Love wrote a touching tribute on Instagram to announce his father’s death, calling him ‘my greatest teacher.’ Love was not on the Heat’s active roster for Game 4 despite being in the building. He hadn’t played in a game since March 21 and subsequently stepped away from the team for what was announced as a personal matter at the time.
Love appeared in 23 games for the Heat this season, including nine starts, and averaged a career-low 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. The 36-year-old just finished his 17th year in the NBA, and more than eight were spent in Cleveland. Love helped the Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA championship with LeBron James and he played with Thompson for six seasons.
After Monday’s Game 4, Love’s grief was also on the mind of Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. He used the beginning of a TNT postgame interview with Dennis Scott to express his condolences for Love.
‘That’s my dog. Been a part of a lot of success here in Cleveland. Big part of here,’ Mitchell said. ‘I saw he was here. I didn’t get to see him. My brother, I love you. Just keeping you in my prayers.’