But while Love is fully embracing the experience with the 11 other elite NBA stars making up the Team USA roster, he has indicated a level of embarassment while spending time with his "super" teammates.
The 12 members of the current Team USA roster have a combined 700 playoff games under their belts, yet Love is the only one who hasn't contributed to that total. While the elder statesmen on the team like Kobe Bryant (220 career playoff games, five championships) and LeBron James (115 playoff, reigning champion) have plenty of playoff success under their belts, there are some younger players that also have a bevy of playoff experience.
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who are all younger than Love, have each played in 43 playoff games. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin, who's also younger than Love, even has 11 games of experience. This sort of playoff success has given many of Love's USA teammates a lot to talk about during their extended time together. But Love still has nothing to add to the conversation.
"It's tough seeing all these guys that are young and older who have all played in the playoffs. When they start talking about that, I have nothing to talk about," Love said, further expressing his frustration. "If I don't make the playoffs next year I don't know what will happen."
His frustration started to boil over during the weekend as he explained a sense of embarassment about his lack of postseason experience in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.
"At this point, I’m not afraid to go on the record," Love said. "Being around these [USA] guys, they know the situation I’m in and how competitive I am. I want to win," Love said. "Hopefully, we can make some stuff happen."
Love went on in the interview about his desire for more immediate success. While he seems to be very happy in Minnesota, Love's patience with the Timberwolves re-building process is growing increasingly thin.
"I would say it's coming down to it for sure [next season]. It's no secret I was willing to commit to Minnesota for five years. I'm very happy with my contract," Love said. "I'd love to be in Minnesota. But like anybody else, I want to win."
While Love insists he is hoping to build a winner with the Wolves, he hasn't completely ruled out the idea of starting fresh somewhere new.
"I don't know if we will blow up the team again, if I'll be moved," Love said. "But something has to happen in Minnesota."
Love is a valuable asset for the Timberwolves and he likely holds the keys to their future success. Now, the questions becomes can they keep him happy long enough for that success to unfold?
Hear more from Love in the video below.
Photo via Facebook/Kevin Love
