Kevin Love Trade: Gotta Stay Positive
Apr 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) shoots in the XXX quarter against the San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner (15) at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
As mentioned here on DWW, Andrew Wiggins has signed a contract with the Cavaliers, meaning Cleveland cannot trade him for 30 days, and that the Wolves can’t have him until August 23rd.
The Chicago Bulls, who in the past week have emerged as serious players in the Kevin Love trade saga, have also signed their key trade pieces in Nikola Mirotic (July 18th) and Doug McDermott (July 22nd). A 30 day wait for them as well.
And unless Golden State raises the stakes and puts Klay Thompson on the trade table, we could be looking at another month of waiting in anticipation. This means more rumors, more false leads, and more accidentally pouring orange juice into your cereal bowl because you’re an internet zombie who fell asleep on his keyboard while stalking hoopshype.com ‘til three in the morning. Maybe that last one’s just me.
Now, I think I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that the Timberwolves’ front office is somehow going to botch the Kevin Love trade.
You think they’ll botch it up just like they’ve botched-up most everything else in the not-so-illustrious history of the franchise. And why would you think any differently? In the twenty-five years of Wolves basketball there’s been little reason for fans to be optimistic. Some of you have probably considered quitting. Like Roger Murtaugh, Danny Glover’s character from Lethal Weapon, you’re getting too old for this shtuff.
If you’re the depressive type you’ll surely be spending a lot of time over the next month stopping by the sad and twisted part of your brain marked with a sign that reads: Crippling Sports Memories. You’ll dig deep into that black hole for the stuff that really hurts. And it won’t just be basketball, either. Football, baseball, hockey; anything Minnesota will do.
You’ll remember the time you got black-out drunk after the North Stars left town (parts of it anyway), how crushed you were when Gary Anderson missed that field goal, and how unfair it was when Kirby Puckett took one in the eye.
The good stuff will be swallowed up by the bad.
Yep, you’ll take a hard look at all the painful memories. From there you’ll put ‘em together piece-by-piece and total up the score, and you’ll be reminded how miserable being a sports fan can be.
You’ll see that you’ve lost.
My advice: Don’t be one of these fans. Seriously, don’t do it. Don’t feed the beast. It’s not only sad, but it’s just flat-out bad for your mental health. I know, I know, pessimism has become a huge component of sports culture, and for fanatics who haven’t much to look forward to, shared negativity is the next best thing.
But it’s bad Juju.
Do whatever you have to do. Save a cat from a tree, volunteer at a shelter, smash a computer with a baseball bat. It doesn’t matter as long as it makes you feel happy.
I hope it doesn’t come down to this, but if absolutely necessary listen to this The Hold Steady song on repeat:
(Try to ignore the irritating sound of Craig Finn’s voice and just focus on the message itself. Like I said, last resort materials…)
They’re your 30 days. Wouldn’t you rather spend them thinking that something great could happen?
What about you? Do you sometimes think that only bad things will happen to the Minnesota Timberwolves? Or do you manage to maintain your positivity and believe that it’s just a matter of time before the Wolves rise to the top of the NBA?