Cleveland Cavaliers fans mercilessly roasted Max Strus for his viral group text message before last night’s 114-105 Game 5 defeat against the Indiana Pacers.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers down 3-1, Strus tried to motivate his teammates. According to NBA on TNT’s Jared Greenberg, the 29-year-old sent a pregame text to teammates saying: “If you don’t believe, then don’t show up for work.”
While Strus meant well with his message, his goose egg performance did not help the team stave off elimination. He missed all nine shot attempts, though he recorded seven rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes.
Had Strus played well and the Cleveland Cavaliers won, this would’ve been a success story about a veteran bringing his team together through adversity. Unfortunately for him and the team, it wasn’t meant to be.
Cleveland Cavaliers News: Dan Gilbert releases first statement after second-round exit
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert reflected on the team’s 2024-25 campaign after losing to the Indiana Pacers. Despite the early exit, Gilbert believes the best is yet to come.
Credit: AP Photo
“@cavs fans, I know it’s heartbreaking. But the good news is, we have a talented young core that will learn from this and continue to get better. We appreciate your incredible support all season long,” Gilbert wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“It’s not how we wanted it to end, but I promise you we will do everything humanly possible to address what needs to be fixed and end in a much better place next year,” he concluded.
