Kevin Love Comments on Criticism, Trade Rumors, More

The Cleveland Cavaliers captured their first NBA title after remarkably erasing a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit in June, but power forward Kevin Love is evidently still being dogged by doubters. 

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Love explained that dealing with critics has become a regular part of his existence as an NBA player, according to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin: 

"

They'll never be gone. That's just something that you live with. We have so much hype and media and the good and the bad surrounding this team and it just comes with the territory.

So, I love this team, love the coaching staff, my teammates, the organization. I mean, I don't think it will ever leave but frankly, I don't really give a s---.

"

Love may not be good for 20 points and 10 rebounds every night like he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that's not to say his effectiveness is waning. 

Although he's Cleveland's third scoring option behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, Love has averaged at least 16 points and nine rebounds while shooting better than 36 percent from three during each of his two seasons with the Cavaliers. 

The defending champions were also 6.5 points better per 100 offensive possessions with Love on the floor last season. Furthermore, the stretch 4 was an integral component of the lineup that featured Irving, James, J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson that played a team-high 465 minutes and outscored opponents by 12.4 points per 100 possessions.  

Although those numbers should be enough keep Love's name off the trade block, he has long been mentioned as a possible moving part at times of brief strife in Cleveland. However, he told reporters that those rumblings have never bothered him. 

"Trade rumors, you know, I don't know," Love said, per McMenamin. "You lose a couple games ... No, I don't know how to answer that. No. I'm here, man. I plan on being here a very long time."

With a Larry O'Brien Trophy in tow and a title defense on his mind, Love should enter the 2016-17 season with plenty of motivation to continue churning out solid numbers as a key piece of one of the league's most dynamic trios. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.