Name: Kevin Love

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Position: Forward/Centre

NBA Statistics: 12.7 (points), 10.2 (rebounds), 1.6 (assists)

Background: For this rising prodigy, basketball is in his genes as his father Stan Love was also a forward in the NBA. He plays for the Timberwolves and has developed into a rebounding machine already, at the age of 22.

His father began preparing him for the league at an early age, giving him a range of upper body exercises to do (inclusive of fingertip pushups) as well as showing him instructional videos of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan.

Love carried these learned attributes with him throughout his childhood, averaging 25.3 points, 15.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 2005 where his then team — the Lake Oswego Lakers, lost in the finals to Jesuit High School, but made amends the following year in defeating South Medford 59-57 in the finals. In the end Love ended his high school career as the all-time leading scorer for his school with 2,628 points erasing a 50-year-old record.

With his father being a pass student of the University of Oregon and being raised in the state led many to believe that he would choose the said college but instead chose to attend University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He only spent one season but led them to a Pac-10 Conference championship and claimed for himself Pac-10 player of the Year.

In 2008 he declared himself eligible for the draft, was taken by the Memphis Grizzlies, then traded to the ‘Wolves. His exploit over the three seasons helped him to a national team call-up and he played an integral role in helping the USA Men’s Basketball Team to the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Just last week he became only the 19th player to record a 30-30, with 31 points and 31 rebounds in a game against the New York Knicks.