Former Cavaliers power forward Channing Frye indicated Kevin Love‘s irritation with tanking became evident during Monday’s road loss to the Toronto Raptors, with Frye offering that as a reason for Love slapping the ball inbounds in frustration.
The play occurred late in the third quarter and has put Love under fire from the Cavs and across the NBA.
“Soooooo he shouldn’t be frustrated by another season of tanking?” Frye wrote in response to a Cavs fan criticizing Love’s act on Twitter. “Please explain how emotions shouldn’t be shown (during) a professional sporting event?”
This came after Frye dropped multiple hints about the incident about the ordeal, ad seemingly, the state of the sinking Cavs, who have lost 13 of 17 and are headed back to the draft lottery. It’s a familiar spot, as the Cavs have been there every season since 2003 in the years LeBron James isn’t on the team.
Along with being a former championship-winning teammate, Frye has maintained a close friendship with Love. Frye first played with the Cavs from 2016-18, when he quickly became a fan favorite. He returned to the franchise before retiring in 2019.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters he spoke to Love about the incident and Love has apologized to his teammates. The Cavs (21-40) host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST.
