Following Russell Westbrook’s retirement from the NBA earlier this week, forward Kevin Love is now the longest-tenured UCLA Bruin in the NBA after Love out-lasted his 2008 NBA Draft mate Westbrook.
Both Love and Westbrook are destined to become Basketball Hall of Famers but with their playing days in the NBA dwindling, it’s time for a new era of UCLA players to step up and lead a next generation.
It’ll be tough to top Westbrook’s explosiveness, which made him a fan favorite for over a decade in the league. Only a few UCLA Bruins reached Westbrook’s heights, winning an MVP, Olympic gold medals and being named to nine All-NBA teams.
Here’s a look at the six longest-tenured UCLA players in the league following Westbrook’s retirement.
T-No. 5: Kevon Looney
The 2015 NBA Draft produced two quality NBA pros. Kevon Looney was scooped up with the last pick of the first round by the Golden State Warriors and proceeded to spend a decade with the Warriors and helping the team win three NBA titles during his time in the Bay Area.
T-No. 5: Norman Powell
Norman Powell’s game is aging like wine. Powell was a first-time All-Star this past season at age 32 and it earned him a new deal with the Chicago Bulls. Powell won an NBA title earlier in his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
T-No. 3: Zach Lavine
Not only did Zach Lavine put together some of the best NBA Slam Dunk Contest performances in the event’s history, he’s also been a very productive pro for over a decade. Lavine remains with the Sacramento Kings, where he put up 19.2 points per game.
T-No. 3: Kyle Anderson
The San Antonio Spurs used the last pick of the 2014 first round draft on Kyle Anderson and the former Bruin has bounced around to six different NBA franchises over his 12-year career. Anderson has averaged 6.8 points per game over the span of his NBA career.
No. 2 Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday has done it all throughout his NBA career. Holiday is a two-time NBA champ, he’s won an Olympic gold medal and he’s been a two-time All-Star, with those All-Star appearances coming 10 years apart from one and other.
No. 1: Kevin Love
Kevin Love began his NBA career as the franchise player for the Minnesota Timberwolves but had to evolve his game when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers to play alongside LeBron James. Love’s game hasn’t stopped evolving, as he’s now in a vet role off the bench but his pedigree still speaks for itself. Love won an NBA title with Cleveland and has made five All-Star teams.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Who are the longest-tenured UCLA Bruins that are active in the NBA?