The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t just trade for Channing Frye so that he could drain threes. He’s apparently an expert pep-talker, too.
Kevin Love did not have good outings in Games 3 and 4, both losses, against the Toronto Raptors. He shot a combined 5-of-23 from the field, and head coach Tyronn Lue wasn’t able to use him to spark any fourth-quarter runs.
That all changed in Game 5. Love got going early, finishing with 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including a 3-of-4 clip from beyond the arc. He overwhelmed the Raptors with a steady diet of post-ups, face-ups and catch-and-shoot triples. It was fun to watch.
It was also an effort brought on by, among other things, a chat with Channing Frye, per ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin:
The real question was, how was Love able to re-engage so quickly after seemingly losing his way? It turns out a talk with Lue and a phone call from the guy some were calling to be his replacement on a more regular basis — Frye — did the trick.
“[Frye] called me and said, ‘Live in the moment, first of all,’” Love told ESPN.com. “He’s like, ‘You’re 27 years old, you’re playing in the Eastern Conference finals.’ He goes, ‘We don’t care if you 0-for-25. Just be aggressive, make an impact on the game and go out there and play hard. Let’s get a win.’ But he also told me no one is immune to the NBA playoffs, either. That kind of stuff happens. There’s different ways to impact the game. There’s different ways to get the job done. That was a big deal for me to hear that come from him.
“He also gave me an example of himself going through it. The Western Conference finals in 2010. He was like, ‘I was 1-for-20! And I had to find a way to make an impact and get stuff done.’”
This is pretty cool by Frye—a very team-first move.
After all, Frye’s playing time only stands to decrease when Love is going off. That he clearly doesn’t give a damn, caring more about his teammate and his team, is wholly admirable.
Also, you know, his pep talk worked.
Once Channing Frye’s NBA career is over, he may have a calling as a motivational speaker.
