Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Matthew Dellavedova has developed a reputation this postseason for being an agitator. Some have even called him a dirty player, which is a label that Atlanta Hawks broadcaster Steve Holman seems to agree with.
When Dellavedova checked into Game 4 on Tuesday night, Holman referred to him as “Tonya Harding.”
Dellavedova checks into the game for Kyrie Irving. Hawks radio broadcast says "Tonya Harding" checking in.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) May 27, 2015
For those of you who don’t get the reference, Harding is a former Olympic figure skater who is infamous for her involvement in hiring someone to injure fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan’s leg so Kerrigan would not be able to compete in the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
What does that have to do with Dellavedova? The 24-year-old has gotten three players injured or ejected so far this postseason. The first was Taj Gibson, and it appeared that he was tossed after Dellavedova put him in a leg lock. A similar thing happened in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals when Delly was all over Al Horford and Horford was ejected for retaliating.
Dellavedova also injured Kyle Korver diving after a loose ball in Game 2, and some believe he did it intentionally.
For what it’s worth, all of the aforementioned incidents contributed to the Cavs getting to the NBA Finals. Dellevedova may be developing a lousy reputation around the league, but I’m sure his teammates are just fine with his playing style.
