UPDATE: According to a Feb. 24 ESPN article, not only has Hilton Hotels apologized to NBA star Kyrie Irving, but Terminix offered to send a technician with him on his next road trip.
Bed bugs can wreak havoc on a person’s psyche, no doubt about it. Case in point: The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving, who missed Sunday’s match up with the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an unfortunate encounter with the pests.
Seems Irving’s hotel room at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City was infested with bed bugs. ESPN.com reports the ballplayer woke up scratching and spotted five “big-ass” bed bugs on his pillow. Irving said he couldn’t sleep in his bed, so he crashed on the couch, which resulted in a stiff back.
After getting only three hours of sleep and suffering bites on the top of his head, the Cavs’ point guard lasted only nine minutes before he left the game for good. Fortunately, he was the only Cavs player affected by bed bugs, although his teammates also had a rough night, according to ESPN.com. Despite the restless night, the Cavs went on to win, 115-92.
The bed bugs found in Irving’s room were an isolated incident, a Skirvin Hilton Hotel spokesperson told ESPN.com. A company was called in to inspect the room in which Irving stayed, as well as the rooms surrounding it, the person said.
Sports fans may recall the hotel making the news in 2014, when The New York Times wrote about Chicago Bulls players who may have encountered the ghost of a maid rumored to haunt the historic hotel, which opened in 1911. Perhaps she brought in the bed bugs?
Editor’s Note: Pest Management Professional’s editorial offices are in downtown Cleveland, so it pains us to see one of our own suffer. To learn how to inspect beds for bed bugs, we suggest the team check out our Tips & Tricks column.
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