NBA - Love named Most Improved Player

MINNESOTA (NBA) - Team USA and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after a season which saw him register career-highs in most statistical categories.

Love, who played an integral part in the USA's gold medal run at last summer's FIBA World Championship in Turkey, averaged 20.2 points per game and led the league with 15.2 rebounds per game. He also earned his first All-Star selection for the Western Conference.

He also improved all his field goal percentages, shooting 47 percent overall, including 41.7 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the free-throw line.

The 22-year-old was a runaway winner, taking 66 of a possible 116 first-place ballots and 400 points. LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers was a distant second with 157 points.

In only his third pro campaign out of UCLA, Love made his way into the history books on a number of occasions during the 2010-11 NBA season.

He set the record for most consecutive double-doules since the NBA/ABA merger with 53.

On 12 November, Love went for 31 points and 31 rebounds, setting a franchise record while also becoming the first player to register 30 points and 30 rebounds in a game since Moses Malone in 1982.

Love attributes his improved play to a rigorous training regiment last summer, which he fit in around his national team duties and he has indicated he will work just as hard this off-season.

“I plan on having basically the exact same schedule, because in my eyes I still believe that not only myself, but a lot of guys on our team and our team in general, can make leaps and bounds from where we were the last couple years,” he said. “I think we’re just looking forward to getting older, becoming a better team.”

“Hopefully there will be more years when I continue to improve,” Love said.

Take a look back at the high points of Love's 2010-11 season

FIBA