FanPost

Kevin Love RE: His Homecoming to Portland (wow)

This is from his nba.com blog, was anyone at the game??? was it really that bad?

MY HOMECOMING TO PORTLAND

I got a mix of boos here and there. I got a few people on my side out there, but I felt like as far as Mike Dunleavy and Damon Stoudamire, who both played high school ball in Oregon, made it to the NBA, I can understand that at the University of Oregon that they would be bitter toward me that I went to a rival school, UCLA. They were very bitter about it last year, and my dad said a few things about the University of Oregon because he kind of wished I had gone there. But I ended up going to UCLA and had a good game against Oregon. Made it to the NBA as a top five pick and I thought people would let it all go and appreciate what I did.

And just going back to Dunleavy and Damon, they got a great ovation and welcomed back. When I was introduced, I got few claps here and there and a little bit mixed. Then when I went to the free throw line for my first points of the game, I was booed. I didn't necessarily have the greatest game in the world by any means. I had an 0-7 shooting night and it was one of those nights where the ball rolled around the rim and wouldn't go in for me. 

I still felt like being from there and making it, they would have had more of a positive vibe and more blessings than they have. But I grew up with it, and it was the same way in high school too. I kind of expected it, didn't really think anything of it and hopefully, I'll have a long and fruitful career and by that time they'll be able to respect it and be happy with it.

As far as the Portland fans, god bless 'em. That's just the way things are sometimes. Fans never really get in my head because I'm into what's happening on the court. I think it was a little more upsetting for my family to see a hometown kid wasn't appreciated his first time back where he grew up.

It was tough for them.