Report: Kevin Love Incident Could Have Been Avoided with Explanation of Illness

The Cleveland Cavaliers' now-infamous team meeting regarding Kevin Love's illness reportedly could have been avoided had the five-time All-Star been transparent about the reason for his early exit from the team's 148-124 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 20.

Citing team sources, ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin reported Thursday there's a belief "the meeting never would have occurred the way it did had Love provided an explanation."

ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported Jan. 23 that the Cavaliers held a "fiery team meeting...during which several players challenged the legitimacy" of Love's illness. 

At the time, the New York Daily News' Frank Isola wrote former Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas "led the charge against Love." 

However, a follow-up from Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon indicated since-departed shooting guard Dwyane Wade "first made an issue" of Love's unexplained absence and challenged head coach Tyronn Lue for answers. 

Thomas was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, while Wade was shipped to the Miami Heat in separate deals in advance of the trade deadline. 

Since then, the Cavaliers are 4-0 and have formed a far more cohesive unit than the one that stumbled through January.