The WFNY staff has been processing this tweet for the last half hour or so, and has decided to post it to the site. This latest report comes via SLAM’s Tzvi Twersky and it doesn’t appear too good:
Breaking: Kyrie Irving’s hand is in a cast. He most likely broke a bone during practice, according to sources.
— Tzvi Twersky (@TTwersky) July 15, 2012
Twersky later posted an article to SLAM’s site, citing sources that report the injury took place during a Cleveland Cavaliers summer league practice. They said that the injury is likely a broken bone, but didn’t provide specific details of what occurred.
We’ll have the latest when we actually know some more details in this peculiar late-night story from Las Vegas. No local beat writers have commented yet on Irving’s possible injury.
10:47 p.m. Updates: And finally, we have confirmation from the local Cavs writers. Let’s start off with Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
Irving is flying back to Cleveland tomorrow, is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks. Should be healthy for the start of training camp
— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) July 15, 2012
The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s duo of Mary Schmitt Boyer and Josie Valade also tweeted similar details.
#Cavs Kyrie Irving, returning to CLE on SUN for surgery. Will be out 6-8 weeks. Should be back for training camp
— M.S. Boyer/J. Valade (@PDcavsinsider) July 15, 2012
Yikes, yikes. There ya have it, folks. Not really some great news to get on a late Saturday night for all of you Cavs fans out there.
Update #2: Lloyd of the ABJ followed up his initial report by adding some details on just how exactly Irving broke his hand. Apparently, Kyrie slammed his hand against a thinly padded wall in frustration after turning the ball over in practice today. He continued to practice but then came out and was seen with ice on the hand. X-rays later revealed the fracture, which will require surgery and six to eight weeks on the shelf. Here’s what Irving had to tell Lloyd about the accident:
“I’m a little disappointed for a freak accident like that. I have to be more responsible about my health. It was crazy. It happened so fast. That thing I did, hitting the padding on the wall, I’ve done it so many times. This time it was just a freak accident.”
That’s twice in the past two weeks that a Cleveland athlete has been injured taking their frustrations out on insentient objects.
[Related: NBA Trade Rumor: Cavs Discussing Trade to Land Andrew Bynum in Magic-Lakers Deal]
