| Advertisement |
April 28 (UPI) -- Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love apologized Wednesday for his on-court outburst during a game against the Toronto Raptors earlier this week. "That wasn't me," Love said during a virtual news conference. "I apologize for that moment. It was an ugly one. It was one that was not ill-intentioned."
Advertisement
Love, who didn't take any questions from reporters during the 13-minute Zoom call, said his behavior was "out of character," but the outburst had nothing to do with any frustration toward his teammates or coaches.
"My intent wasn't to disrespect the game," Love said. "My intent wasn't even for the damn ball to go inbounds. It was a moment that I got caught up in."
During the third quarter of Monday's game against the Raptors, a frustrated Love, who was upset with the referees over multiple non-calls, angrily tapped the ball into play on an inbounds pass.
Raptors swingman Stanley Johnson grabbed the loose ball and passed it to guard Malachi Flynn, who sank a 3-pointer to give Toronto a nine-point lead late in the third frame. The Raptors went on to win 112-96.
Video of Love's on-court tantrum went viral on social media, and he was quickly criticized for behavior called "childish" and "unacceptable." Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff called Love's actions a "lapse in judgement."
Love, a five-time NBA All-Star selection, objected to some of the criticism, saying he thought aspects of his outburst were "blown out of proportion."
"I just hope that you judge my character, judge me as a man," Love said. "I mean, the basketball stuff, you can crush me, you can kill me by any means. I'll take that on the chin all day.
"I don't care. I love this game. I'll always love this game. I hope I can play as many years as I possibly can."
Before Wednesday's matchup against the Orlando Magic, Bickerstaff said he spoke with Love about the incident. The Cavs' head coach also said Love talked with his teammates and apologized to them.
"He owned up to it. He held himself accountable," Bickerstaff said. "It's what I expected from Kevin. I had a long conversation with Kevin this morning, and Kevin had a long conversation with his teammates this morning."
Love, who helped the Cavaliers win an NBA championship in 2016, missed nearly two months this season because of a calf injury. Entering Wednesday's contest against the Magic, he has averaged 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 18 games.
The Cavaliers have a 21-40 record this season and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
