Cavs' Kevin Love: There Was No 'Malice' Behind John Beilein's 'Thugs' Comment

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said the team feels there was no malice behind coach John Beilein referring to them as "thugs" in a film session.

"I don't think there was any malice or intent to upset us. ... At the end of the day as a person, he's a good man and he misspoke. He owned up to it, came in this morning to apologize and now we've moved on," Love told reporters Thursday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Beilein told his players they were no longer playing "like a bunch of thugs" as praise during a Wednesday film session. The 66-year-old, who has been coaching since 1975, said he meant to say "slugs" and reached out to players individually to apologize for his mistake.

Wojnarowski's report indicated players were "initially stunned and were increasingly disturbed" by the comment. 

"I used a word that I never intended to use. ... I spoke with players last night and this morning to apologize, and there was positive reinforcement," Beilein told reporters.

Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman was reportedly "gathering details" on the film session Wednesday.

While Love's public comments make it seem like the issue was handled swiftly, others on the team may feel differently. Love is white, and the word "thug" is typically used as a pejorative toward African Americans. No other player on the Cavs has issued a public statement as of publication, but Beilein has struggled throughout the season to reach players.

At the very least, this is another negative mark on a hire that's looking worse with each loss.