The breaking news out of Las Vegas is hardly promising right now, as the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd is reporting that Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, spotted in a cast earlier in the day, has a fractured bone in his right hand and will need surgery.
According to Lloyd, Irving actually injured the hand in question by smacking the not-so-padded wall behind the basket in frustration after a turnover during practice. Seriously. Here's what Irving had to say about the freak injury:
"I’m a little disappointed for a freak accident like that. I have to be more responsible about my health. It was crazy. It happened so fast. That thing I did, hitting the padding on the wall, I’ve done it so many times. This time it was just a freak accident."
While this clearly signals the end of any upcoming basketball for a player who was legitimately starting to flourish in his first real pro summer, the scenario here isn't exactly the easiest thing for Cleveland fans to swallow right now. An awkward fall after an aggressive drive to the hoop or a rolled up ankle in the paint would have both been much, much easier to stomach. But a self-inflicted injury? That's just too much.
Irving is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action and should be back in time for the start of Cleveland's training camp, but this hardly alleviates the situation. A few days ago the Cavs owned the most promising young talent in pro basketball. And now, because of an extremely poor decision, he's on the shelf for the better part of two months.
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