Not all Cavaliers players rooting for Indians in World Series
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers, like the rest of the city, have gotten wrapped up in the Indians’ unlikely World Series run even as their own title defense has gotten underway.
It’s why Cavs players showed up for Game 2 of the Series last week (a 5-1 Indians loss), and it’s why they showed up again Tuesday night with the hope of seeing their neighbors clinch a title. LeBron James, Kevin Love and Richard Jefferson sat in a suite from the fourth inning on following their 128-120 win over the Houston Rockets.
“I’m not a Cleveland guy. I mean I am, but I’m not,” said forward Channing Frye, who was acquired last season from Orlando ahead of the trade deadline. “Just to be a part of this, and be a part of just seeing the city, it’s infectious. They’re gonna hate me for this, but regular season baseball is kind of boring. This is the most exciting baseball.”
Very little of Tuesday’s 9-3 Chicago Cubs victory was entertaining from the Cavs’ perspective.
Already down 3-0 in the third inning, forward Kevin Love was conducting his postgame interview when Addison Russell smacked a mood-shattering grand slam to center.
“Grand slam?” Love asked. “All right, this interview’s over. Bad luck.”
And Love, who wore an Indians hat and jersey to Quicken Loans Arena, meant it.
Only moments earlier – when the game was still within reach – Cavs coach Ty Lue had wrapped his postgame interview in decidedly quick fashion.
“Now let’s get to the game!”
There was only one holdout, and that was apparent Cubs fan Iman Shumpert, a native of Oak Park, Illinois. The Cavs’ two-way guard took outward glee in the fact that the Cubs were spoiling the Tribe’s celebration. That drew eye rolls from every resident Indians fan, including LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Frye.
“Shump’s not even a Cubs fan,” Frye said. “He’s a White Sox fan, but he cheers for Chicago.”
The irony of what the Cubs were trying to accomplish, coming back from a 3-1 deficit just as the Cavaliers did in the NBA Finals, wasn’t lost on anyone. It made it even stranger as the Fox announcers discussed their comeback with the World Series game on in the Cavs’ locker room.
After the Cavs ended Cleveland’s title drought this past June, the Indians are trying to make Cleveland just the second city (Los Angeles) to hold both the NBA championship and the World Series at the same time.
“I would hope so,” Cavs coach Lue said when asked if winning could be contagious. “(If they win it) then we have to come back and win it again. … It’s gonna take some time, next year or next couple years. The Browns will come around.”
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