It’s been a frustrating season for Kevin Love. He’s gone from top dawg on a floundering Minnesota Timberwolves team to a third (and sometimes fourth) option on a stacked Cavaliers squad – behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving – with lofty championship expectations. To put it mildly, the transition has not gone smoothly for him. His numbers are down significantly this season, and what’s more concerning is that he often appears lost and/or listless on the court. In other words, he’s struggled to “fit in.”
He admitted as much in an interview back in October when he first climbed aboard the Cavaliers carousel.
“I’m just trying not to fit in so much,” Love said. “I had a talk with the guys on the plane ride over and also in different practices off the floor, and they told me fit out and just be myself. I kind of laughed and smirked at that. … I want to be Mr. Reliable.”
On Saturday, James – being the millennial athlete/celebrity that he is – took to Twitter to fire a not-so-subtle dig at Love.
Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my thoughts
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 8, 2015
As is standard operating procedure with any social media volley that causes a dust-up, James tried to walk back his comments and claim they weren’t necessarily directed at Love specifically, per the Northeast Ohio Media Group:
“It wasn’t even about this team, it was more about people in general,” James said initially, to a larger group of reporters. “It was just a general thought that I had, and obviously whatever thought I had people try to encrypt it and Da Vinci Code it and all that stuff. It’s just a general thought, that’s all that is.”
Sure.
It’s tempting to say James’ tweet lit a fire under Love, who recorded a season-high 32 points and 10 rebounds in a blowout win over the lowly Lakers Sunday, but it’s equally tempting to point out that there are obviously better ways of inspiring your teammates than taking passive-aggressive shots at them via social media, then backtracking after admitting as much.
What do you think?
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