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CHARLOTTE – Caleb Love went west this past summer seeking improvements to his overall game.
The physical stuff, ball handling, driving, how to work on his craft, were part of his experience with NBA star Damian Lillard, but so were learning more about the cerebral aspects of grinding daily as a high-end basketball player.
The North Carolina junior was invited to participate in Lillard’s new Formula Zero basketball camp in Portland, OR, in July. Love was among approximately 40 highly touted college and high school stars there, though he left with the MVP trophy.
But his greater reward came from conversations he had with Lillard, a six-time NBA all-star with the Portland Trail Blazers.
“That was kind of a humbling experience and a great experience for me because that’s my favorite player,” Love said Wednesday during the ACC TipOff. “Just being able to see how hard he goes, and pick his brain on certain things, was great. And I appreciate him for that.”
Love also appreciates what he learned from Lillard about getting to a place where he’s completely dialed into a game and not having any idea what his stat line looked like as the game went on. Players generally don’t keep track in their heads, and the great ones usually have no clue. Like Lillard.
So, Love picked his brain about that extra mental layer that most players don’t achieve.
“(Regarding) the year before he got drafted, I asked him, ‘What was your mentality going into that year,’” Love recalled. “And he was telling me everything was on point. He was focused, and he said he led the country in points that year and he wasn’t even trying to.
“He said he looked up and he had 30 or 40, and he wasn’t even trying (to). And I’m like, that’s crazy.”
Lillard lost himself in the games, and that’s the key takeaway.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure,” Love said. “That’s what I took from it. Just losing yourself in the game and being locked in on a certain level not worried about anything else. You’re just locked in and focused on your craft.”
Love’s craft has many prongs.
He averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 assists per game last season, shooting 36 percent from 3-point range. Carolina was 13-0 when Love scored 20 or more points and 14-0 when he handed out five or more assists.
His high scoring games came in the NCAA Tournament: 30 points in a win over UCLA in the Sweet 16; and 28 in a win over Duke in the national semifinals.
It was in that victory over the Blue Devils in New Orleans, in what was legendary Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last game, that Love entered into a place of Carolina lore forever.
His 3-pointer over the out-stretched reach of seven-foot Blue Devils big man Mark Williams with 28 seconds remaining gave UNC a 78-74 lead, and photos of the shot quickly became iconic. Love gained notoriety for that and the range on his threes in the NCAAs, and during the season as well. It’s something Lillard certainly noticed.
“He told me that I ‘have range out of the world,’” Love said, wearing a big smile. “He was telling me I can use that to my advantage getting downhill because they have to guard me higher off the arc.”
Lillard also preached to Love the importance of being mentally great.
Again, that was the Carolina star’s biggest takeaway from spending four days with one of the best players in the world.
“Your mental state, you have to be great at that, and there’s a lot of stuff that goes into that,” Love said. “Not worrying about what somebody says about you, and focusing on what you have to do to be the best player you are.”
The best player Love is hasn’t come into form yet. But no doubt his time with Lillard is now formally a part of his process.
