The Cleveland Cavaliers were installed as favorites to reach the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference - as long as LeBron James and Kevin Love don't kill each other.
Indeonline.com reported that on the eve of the NBA Playoffs, King James decided to make one more joke at the expense of Love, his estranged Cavaliers teammate.
James sat out the Cavaliers' regular-season finale Wednesday against the Washington Wizards but talked to media before the game. The last question in the session to LeBron was his choice for the league MVP this season.
"Who would be my vote?" James said, pausing to think, according to indeonline.com. "Umm, Kevin Love."
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James' retort was a response to a radio interview Love did in March in which he was asked his choice for MVP and said Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Indeonline.com added that the reporters gathered around James' locker Wednesday erupted in laughter as the interview came to an end.
"In terms of a mic drop, it does not get much better," Indeonline.com reported.
CBSSports.com reported that the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors were instituted as favorites to win the NBA title, but the Cavs' run already is off to a shaky start.
Huffingtonpost.com reported that James' dig comes at a curious time as the Cavaliers are about to embark on a quest for their first NBA title in James' second stint with the team.
"This breeds the obvious question: WHY, LEBRON, WHY!?!?!? Good natured or not, why take a swipe at one of the best (but more importantly, most sensitive) players on your team just days before his first NBA playoff game, especially considering your relationship with Love has been, uh, uncertain at best this season?" Huffingtonpost.com asked.
Huffingtonpost.com pointed out the same "Why?" in Love's comment about Westbrook being his choice for MVP, saying J.R. Smith later showed Love how he should have responded when Smith told ESPN, "we all know who the real MVP is."
As a four-time MVP winner and a two-time NBA champion, James might've considered taking the high road as the leader of Cavs and avoid zinging a teammate, no matter how annoying. He is supposed to have experience of knowing what it takes to win an NBA championship that Kevin Love lacks and could've used the opportunity to show Love how a leader acts when a potentially controversial question is asked.
The two have traded barbs for much of the season, with Love saying they're not best friends and James calling out Love for not fitting in.
If the Cavs fail to win the title this year, it's be another year that James is stuck at two NBA rings, still lagging far behind the Michael Jordan stratosphere of six NBA titles.
But if the Cavaliers are able to snare the trophy, at least James will know he can say whatever he wants moving forward.
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