A Special Connection
Jonah BallowWolves Editor/Writer
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Friendships are usually a product of proximity or common interests. For Wolves forward Kevin Love, an unexpected relationship developed outside of the NBA sphere, but his career in the league provided the opportunity to meet a special person.
Two years ago, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital partnered with the NBA Summer League to raise funds and awareness for one of the world's premier pediatric cancer research centers. During Love's rookie season, he was approached to participate in the Rookie Relief Program and it opened the eyes of the Minnesota big man. St. Jude linked Love with 16-year old Dylan, a teenager battling cancer and lifelong Wolves fan.
"Yeah, I got set up with him last year and we became friends quickly," Love explained. "He kind of relapsed, he's having a tough time now, but I've just had a relationship with him. We've been emailing back and forth, he's been to a couple games here and there, he got to meet a bunch of different people that we talk about."
"I mean at first it was just that St. Jude had introduced me to him, and then he ended up being just a phenomenal, great kid with a full smile on his face, and we just kind of hit it off, started joking around with each other a little bit. Now we're really good friends. We'll email back and forth, sometimes I'll put the number seven on my shoe for him, because that's his lucky number, so it works out for me," Love added.
Following the success of the 2008 Summer League, a program was created with the assistance of six NBA stars and a legendary head coach. Love, Shane Battier, Steve Blake, Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, and George Karl form the team that places Hoops for St. Jude at the forefront of the league news this week.
Love's personal interaction inside the St. Jude facility delivers a much stronger impact than the $20,000 from each player and the additional $20,000 out of Karl's pocket. The Wolves double-double machine is now connected to Dylan while injecting a sense of strength for the cancer patient. "It's amazing, because there are so many other kids at St. Jude, and what Kevin's doing is helping every single one of them. I mean, all my treatment is paid for, everything, just from donations that Kevin and a bunch of other people do. It's amazing," Dylan said.
Prior to slipping on a Minnesota uniform for the 2008-09 season, Dylan watched Love toss out full court outlet passes and dominate the college landscape at UCLA. He shared the same vision as the Wolves front office that decided to trade for Love and acquire one of the most efficient rebounders in the NBA.
"I liked UCLA, and I always looked and he was always on the top of all the charts and everything, one of the best players," Dylan remarked. "It was really cool, and I followed him a lot."
Beyond his fondness for Love as a player and person, Dylan describes the importance of the fundraising efforts, "It's very important, because everything at St. Jude is paid for. All my treatment, all my radiation so far, you don't have to pay a dime. At Target House, you get the groceries and everything, and everything's paid for. Nothing comes out of your pocket. You have to deal with the hard times, but it just helps so much that all these people are donating and giving back to St. Jude."
The financial contributions from the NBA family and the public has literally saved lives, which is evident in the statistics. According to the Hoops for St. Jude Web site, overall survival rates for childhood cancers spiked from less than 20 percent in 1962 when the hospital opened to 80 percent today.
"Because no kid really goes without care, even if you don’t have the means to pay for the care or pay for the cancer treatment, every kid will get taken in. The donations that people make every day are what really help take care of the kids," Love said.
Fans can join Love and the Hoops team during the week-long celebration by logging on to hoopsforstjude.org and donating to St. Jude. All funds raised will help children battle cancer and other deadly diseases. While visiting hoopsforstjude.org, fans can also bid on exclusive autographed items donated by the Hoops team members and other NBA stars, including Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
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