Sometimes, all you can do is cry.
Kevin Love was (comically) in his feelings after the news that he was taking his talents AWAY from South Beach and heading west. The NBA Champion joined the Miami Heat towards the end of the 2023 season, helping the squad reach the NBA Finals (where they’d lose in five games to the Denver Nuggets). And it looked like Love was set to finish out his career in Miami, happily retiring in Florida like so many other pensioners.
That was at least until he got caught up in a three-team deal on Monday that ultimately sent him off to the Utah Jazz. And to best express his feelings to their utmost, Love reached into the archives, all the way to the pinnacle of modern cinema.
Yes. We’re talking "Joe Dirt".
Kevin Love shares clip after Miami Heat trade him to Utah Jazz
Love, 36, posted a clip from 2001’s "Joe Dirt" to his Instagram on Monday, July 7. He captioned the video “Traded,” and in it, Joe Dirt (David Spade) gets run out of town by Robby (Kid Rock). “That’s right, Dirt. Nobody wants you in this town,” says Rock’s character. “Nobody wants you around PERIOD.” A dejected Joe Dirt then runs off.
“You crying, boy?” shouts Rock’s villainous character. “You crying?”
Fans consoled Love. Patrick Schwarzenegger left a string of ‘laughing so hard I’m crying’ emojis. Sports reporter Rachel Nichols said she was “very excited about the memes coming for a whole new team.”
“On behalf of all Heat Lifers, we’re going to miss you, K-Love,” wrote one fan. “This one hurts. Thank you for everything you did for us over the years. You’re a great basketball player and an even better man.”
One commenter added, “Cleveland’s #0 is waiting for you, Kev.” And that reunion might come sooner than expected.
Love was involved in a three-way dance between the Jazz, the Heat, and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers sent Norman Powell to Miami and received John Collins from the Jazz. Love, Kyle Anderson, and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick are headed to the Jazz.
“Never thought I’d be a math problem,” Love tweeted on X after the trade was revealed on Monday. “Welcome to the NBA.”
Never thought I’d be a math problem. Welcome to the NBA.
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) July 7, 2025
Love may want to hold off on buying a home in Salt Lake City. NBA Insider Jake Fisher said that Love is “certainly a buyout candidate in Utah,” since the team is in rebuilding mode. Rumors have been circulating that Love is also “seeking a buyout,” which would make him an unrestricted free agent.
Love is in the final season of a two-year, $8 million contract. Athlon Sports theorizes that Love was part of the trade to “make the salaries work within the NBA’s salary cap,” which lent another layer to the “Joe Dirt” meme.
Though Love won a championship alongside LeBron James in 2016 as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his stock has diminished in the following decade. Last year, he averaged 10.9 minutes per game with 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
If he were to play in it, the 2025 season would be Love’s 18th. And if he does retire, it might be while wearing a Cavs uniform. In 2023, Love said he’s “definitely open to coming back and retiring” as a Cavalier.
If Love were to end his career this offseason, he may not be too upset. While he was getting traded, Love was off on vacation in Rome with his wife, model Kate Bock.