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Last season, a fan ran onto the court at The Q wearing a T-shirt with a message intended for LeBron James: Come Back 2014.
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Even though Kyrie Irving was coming off one of the worst games of his career, the only scoreless game he's had in three seasons in the NBA, Cleveland fans showed Saturday that they still love their All-Star point guard.
Well, at least one fan does.
In particular, the one who ran onto the court at The Q with about three minutes left in the second quarter of the Cavaliers-L.A. Clippers game wearing a shirt that read, "Kyrie Don't Leave!"
The fan wandered near midcourt for a few seconds before Clippers guard Chris Paul stopped with the ball and faced him. Referee Gary Zielinski quickly stepped toward the fan as police descended upon him and ushered him off the court.
It's a bit of early panicking from a Cleveland fan base that has been scorned before. Irving is not eligible to be an unrestricted free agent until 2016.
Irving was coming off an 0-for-9 performance against Atlanta one night early, the only game of his career when he did not log a single point. He also is shooting the worst of his three-year career, 39.4 percent.
This is the second time in two seasons that a fan has run onto the court at The Q. Last season, a fan ran onto the court during the Cavaliers-Miami Heat game, wearing a shirt that read, "We Miss You, Come Back 2014" as a message intended for LeBron James.