The Cleveland Cavaliers were at the heart of all NBA headlines two nights ago, as they rested their Big 3 of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love ahead of their clash with western conference heavyweights L.A. Clippers which was nationally televised.
Of course, anything to do with the Cavs causes an uproar within the association, even despite the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs resting their stars just a week ago on prime-time television, the Cavs were still crucified by the media. The Cavaliers coaching staff and head office came under fire by the league, despite the fact Irving being legitimately injured the game before against the Utah Jazz, and Love just returning from a knee injury that required surgery.
There were countless 23 jerseys in the crowd inside Staples Center, and needless to say, the Los Angeles faithful was disappointed and frustrated the four-time MVP didn’t suit up to face the Clippers. They were left annoyed, as the price of admission was an expensive one, and the crowd only found out less than an hour before tip-off that James would not go on the night.
It ended up being a full-strength Clippers versus the bench of the Cavs, and the subsequent blowout was boring for all viewers. It was a lopsided affair, and with the result already taken care of, the crowd let James and the Cavs know how much they missed him on the evening, chanting “we want LeBron”.
James is a box office spectacle, and the crowd chanting was understandable. The sentiments were also shared by his teammates, and sharpshooter J.R. Smith had a hilarious response when asked about the chants.
There’s no question the Cavs missed James against the Clippers, but he, Irving and Love suited up the very next night against the Lakers and combined for 101 points.
Let’s hope the fans bought tickets to both games.