Kyrie Irving Bitten By Bed Bugs At Skirvin Hilton Hotel In Oklahoma City: 9 Minutes Of Game Play For Irving

Kyrie Irving, better known as “Uncle Drew” to Cleveland Cavaliers fans and those in the know, only played for nine minutes in Irving’s game with the Cavs against the Thunder. Kyrie, the famous point guard for the Cavs, told reporters that it was bed bugs that bit his head and gave him symptoms mimicking the flu, forcing him to leave the game early.

The Skirvin Hilton has confirmed bed bugs Kyrie Irving referred to. Said isolated to one room: https://t.co/4ViHQ6JO2e

— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) February 23, 2016

Kyrie said the bed bugs freaked him out — at least, that’s what Irving said on Monday to reporters after the Cavs lost on Sunday to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Irving blamed the “frickin'” Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City, which isn’t a good endorsement for that hotel.

As reported by KFOR-TV, the bed bugs that bit Kyrie on the head freaked him out. The historic Oklahoma City hotel probably isn’t winning any favorable Yelp reviews from Cavs fans after Irving’s reported experience staying therein.

Kyrie Irving: "It was honestly from the bed bugs from the frickin' Hilton that we stayed at … We came into the game and I was freaked out"

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 23, 2016

The fact that Irving told of his experience with bed bugs has made Kyrie’s name coupled with the term “bed bugs” a much talked about event, according to Facebook. It has also caused sites like CBS Sports to joke about ways to get rid of bed bugs by recommending a good exterminator.

“If you know a good exterminator, give Kyrie Irving a shout.”

With bed bugs reportedly causing Kyrie to be freaked out enough to leave a basketball game, Irving’s experience with the hotel is being debated on social media.

As written by Nelson Amador via The Sonicsgate Movie Fan Page on Facebook, Kyrie’s bed bug experience in OKC proves to him that the city isn’t a good one for NBA sports.

“If people think OKC is a good NBA city, this proves to those people on ESPN, fox sports, fox sports 1, and CBS that OKC is not a good NBA city. Seattle is way better and we produce more talent then they do. And also, I just saw that one record that said Ray Allen’s name by the records and it said that Allen played for OKC. To that, I say shame on them…and just like when I said in my blog, that is a complete disgrace to our beautiful city and our wonderful sports town.”

The fact that bed bugs are being blamed for Kyrie’s short performance in Irving’s nearly completely missed gamed against the Oklahoma City Thunder has others commiserating of what it must be like to work at the hotel at the center of the controversy in coming weeks.

Lisa Lamb offered inspiration to those working at the hotel, writing on Facebook that the staff should hang in there after Irving’s experience.

“All my hotel people, can you just feel what it’s gonna be like to be working the desk/at your service/management at Skirvin in the coming weeks?!!!???? dude…hang in there staffers!!!! I guess I could tag all day…”

Others were more concerned that bed bugs could actually cause flu-like symptoms.

“Wait. What? Bed bugs cause flu-like symptoms? I thought it only caused itching. What hotel is this?”

Still, some joked about Irving’s run-in with the bed bugs, and that old night-time warning to watch out for the bites by bed bugs.

“Someone didn’t tell him ‘Good night, don’t let the bedbugs bite’ – but seriously, for a hotel like that, you would expect better…”

Matt Lorch felt that Kyrie’s bed bug bites wouldn’t have happened if the Thunder were still in Seattle playing as the SuperSonics, the same sentiment expressed by other fans. While some joked and attributed the bed bugs to climate change, others applauded Kyrie for being honest.

[Photo by Tony Dejak/AP]