Kyrie Irving only played nine minutes in Cleveland's game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City last Sunday and we were first told it was because he was battling flu-like symptoms. As it turns out, Irving didn't really have the flu. He just hadn't slept much because he spent the night crammed on a hotel room couch due to the bed bugs swimming around his face on his bed.Irving revealed the news after Monday night's loss to Detroit and told reporters that he woke up itching and saw "five big-ass bed bugs just sitting" on his pillow. He wound up getting three hours of sleep that night and just wasn't in any shape to play. In case you're wondering if this is a bunch of hooey—"flu-like symptoms" are very often used as a euphemism for "got hammered the night before"—the hotel has copped to the issue.The Thunder stayed in the historic Skirvin Hilton Hotel—the oldest hotel in the city that's rumored to be haunted by a ghost—and they confirmed to ESPN that there was an "isolated incident."
Irving also said one of the bugs bit him on the head, and it just had him feeling all sort of freaked out and nauseous, plus sleeping on the couch tightened up his back. All he wanted to do was get back to Cleveland, and when he did, he dropped 30 on the Pistons in 38 minutes.[ESPN]"Unfortunately, every hotel occasionally has a case of bed bugs," the spokesperson said. "This is one of those cases where a guest did bring in bed bugs to this particular room, and it was reported to us, fortunately, and we responded immediately and put the room out of order and all of the surrounding rooms to be inspected by a professional company."