Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
I have heard of bad public relations moves, but what Kyrie Irving did on Monday night would rank up there with one of the worst. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ point guard along with his teammates were going to take part in a Fan Appreciation Night event where their game-worn jerseys and sneakers would go to the fans. Irving on the other hand, after getting stripped of the ball in the closing seconds, went straight to the locker room. Irving has apologized for his actions, but no matter what, it is completely unacceptable to me.
Irving is obviously the best player on the Cleveland roster, and I’m sure every fan there wanted his jersey over any others. It made his running away look even worse because he was basically trying to find a way out of the situation from the end of the game. There is no doubt that Irving regrets it and he has said so himself, but when will athletes learn that you can’t just run away from everything that happens? The fans are the ones that are paying your salary so if you are expected to be at something that involves the fans, you must be there.
The Cavaliers will finish their season on Wednesday night with their third straight losing record. The future is bright for Cleveland with Irving at the point guard position, but things like this can’t happen again. I really hope a lesson has been learned in this situation, and next season when the time comes, Irving goes out of his way for the fans. Cleveland deserves better after everything they have been through in recent years.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
