Cavs Players Moving On From Beilein's Slip Of The Tongue

The Cleveland Cavaliers are moving forward with John Beilein as head coach following what was described as an emotional apology for misspeaking in a film session Wednesday, telling his players they were no longer playing like thugs.

“When I meant to say slug, the word thug came out. It was brought to my attention a couple hours later. Called all the players afterward, explained the situation, we met about it today, we apologized, I apologized about it today as well,” Beilein said Thursday. “Something I have to learn from and just enunciate better and be just more clear with what my intentions were. So, they all know it, they understand it.”

Beilein intended to give the team a compliment, he said.

Beilein also said he spoke extensively about the slip with Cavs General Manager Koby Altman, who made the trip to Detroit Thursday night for the game against the Pistons, but his future as head coach did not come up.

The slip was nothing more than that, said forward and team captain Kevin Love.

“I didn't think there was any malice or any intent behind it to upset us or anger us,” Love said. “Obviously it wasn’t good, the reaction after the fact but at the end of the day, as a person, he's a good man.”

The team is already moving on, said power forward and veteran player Larry Nance Jr. before Thursday night’s game.

“Nothing like that has ever come out of his mouth before. So it's something that we all know through personal relationships he's had with the players and the coaching staff and everybody he's come across that this is a one off,” Nance said.

The Cavs beat the Pistons Thursday night, 115-112, in overtime.