Throwback: Uncle Drew, Wes To Square Off Tonight
You're all familiar with the Uncle Drew saga, so I'm not going to go in depth here on that. We've all see the three-chapter Pepsi MAX commercial series featuring Cavs
You're all familiar with the Uncle Drew saga, so I'm not going to go in depth here on that. We've all see the three-chapter Pepsi MAX commercial series featuring Cavs guard Kyrie Irving being transformed through hours of makeup preparation into an elderly character from the era of Russell and Chamberlain as he tries to teach the new “young bloods” that the game is still “all about buckets.”
And last year, we got a treat as Minnesota fans when Kevin Love was brought into the mix as Drew’s friend, Wes. Drew, trying to get his old team back together, seeks out Wes and brings him to a game of neighborhood pickup ball where the two dominate the younger crowd with Irving’s sick crossover, Love’s outside shooting and a combination of some flashy alley-oops.
Tonight in Cleveland, Irving and Love will face each other head-to-head for the first time in an NBA game since filming that commercial prior to the 2012-13 season. Being in opposite conferences, the Cavs and Wolves play each other just twice a year. Last year, Irving missed the Dec. 7 meeting and Love was injured when Minnesota traveled to Cleveland on Feb. 11. The Wolves won both matchups.
This year, we’re in for a treat. Love is on fire through three games—he’s leading the NBA with 29.7 points per game and is second with 14.7 boards a night. He’s shooting 50 percent from the field, and his game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds left against Orlando not only sent the game to overtime but paved the way for the franchise’s second 3-0 start in team history (2001-02 being the other).
Iriving, meanwhile, was the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year and parlayed that into his first All-Star appearance last season. He’s a handful at the point guard spot, and his combination of scoring, creativity and athletic ability is helping him quickly rise the ladder of popularity around the league. This year, he’s leading the Cavs with 15.3 points and 7.0 assists per game.
What does all of this mean? Well, we should be in for a treat tonight as the Wolves and Cavs tip off at 6 p.m. CT at the Q. It also means you should take a couple minutes out of your day to revisit the Uncle Drew/Wes “Chapter 2” commercial above (as well as the behind-the-scenes video where Love's dad, Stan, sees him in costume for the first time). Why not? I can’t think of a better way to prep for tonight’s matchup.