Tensions were reportedly running high in Kyrie Irving's camp, and that was before the Cleveland Cavaliers' All-NBA point guard was ruled out for the remainder of the Finals on Friday with a fractured left knee cap.
Related: Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving to miss remainder of NBA Finals due to fractured knee cap
Frustration was to be expected, given that knee issues plagued Irving throughout the postseason before the injury in Thursday's Game 1 knocked him out of the series, but according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the tension went well beyond that.
Irving's father and (agent Jeff) Wechsler, sources said, have been preaching caution with Irving and this knee issue. Naturally, they are focused on his long-term health and have concern that playing on a weakened knee - what the Cavs have said publicly was a bad case of tendinitis - could put him at risk of suffering a greater injury. ...
Of course on the other side, the Cavs want Irving to play as long as he's not seriously hurt. As Irving was limping through the start of the conference finals against the Hawks, it was easy to identify some mild friction. As Irving was preparing to get a second opinion, there was a sense he was being challenged to play through it.
The diagnosis that came down Friday likely won't make Irving's camp feel any better about things, and may indeed only stoke their anger and suspicion.
After a week of uncertainty regarding his status, Irving willed himself to play 44 minutes in Game 1, but it's unclear, at this point, whether the weakened state of his knee contributed to the fracture or if it was simply a freak injury. It will likely be difficult to prove one way or the other.
Irving, who also dealt with a sprained right foot during the playoffs, missed two games during the Eastern Conference Finals due to what was called tendinitis in the knee. While he lacked his usual explosiveness for much of the postseason and admitted earlier in the week that only a miracle could help him reach 100 percent health before The Finals tipped off, it was expected that the extended layoff between the Conference Finals and Finals would allow him to heal.
That appeared to be the case early in Game 1, with Irving looking as spry - on both ends of the court - as he had since the early stages of the first round. But he crumpled to the floor in overtime, clutching his left knee after it buckled on an apparent non-contact play.
