Kevin Love: “we have to change to get to that next level”

By Tony Hoops | Published July 20, 2012

Timberwolves all-star forward Kevin Love is glad he negotiated the option to leave Minnesota as a free agent in three years instead of securing a maximum five-year contract, demanding again that management invest in a playoff-contending team before he commits long term to the franchise.

Love also was pleased to see “bad blood” purged from the locker room and stressed the “urgency of the situation” with the Wolves, whose roster remains unsettled after the team failed to sign Portland free-agent forward Nicolas Batum.

In a telephone interview Thursday, July 19, from England, where the U.S. men’s basketball team is preparing for the Olympics, Love doubled down on comments he made about his waning patience with the Wolves to Yahoo! Sports two weeks ago during Team USA’s training camp.

Love, who is entering his fifth NBA season and the first of a four-year, $62 million contract extension, is the only Team USA player who has never played in the postseason. He is surrounded by Olympians who have won seven NBA championships and combined to play in 700 playoff games.

“I feel like we have to change to get to that next level, and I want to help drive that change and push that agenda,” he said Thursday, July 19. “I think we deserve a good product. The coaches deserve a good product, but most importantly the fans deserve it. They were tremendous last year for us turning things around before Ricky (Rubio) went down. We just want to keep pushing the team in the right direction, and that’s what I wanted to convey.”

(Via TwinCities)