Another Finals Loss Will Not Slow Down the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyle Korver
It's been a struggle for the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyle Korver in this NBA Finals matchup with the Golden State Warriors.
Facing a team that consistently runs out athletic wings and elusive guards, the Cavaliers' coaches have been unable to keep Korver on the floor.
Per Basketball Reference, Korver has only played 44 minutes thus far in the three already concluded Finals contests, and he's been mostly ineffective, with his rebounding average actually being higher than his scoring output at the moment.
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This is likely not what Korver had in mind when he was preparing for his second straight NBA Finals appearance, but even though defeat is seemingly inevitable, that probable outcome is not going to break the will of this NBA veteran.
At this point, nothing that can happen on the court may truly shake Korver's world, especially not in the aftermath of the tragedy that befell his family earlier this year.
In an article published on ESPN.com last month, one of the website's senior writers, Brian Windhorst, told the story of the passing of Kyle's brother Kirk.
Kirk is the youngest of the Korver siblings, a man whose life was still ahead of him.
Earlier this year, Kirk fell ill and he was taken to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City to receive treatment.
At first, Kirk seemed to be on the road to recovery. He was even visited in the hospital by his whole family, parents Kevin and Laine as well as brothers Kyle, Kaleb and Klayton.
As Klayton told ESPN, the scene where the family rallied around Kirk as he was sick seemed to suggest that things were going to work out.
Unfortunately, that was not meant to be.
Kirk passed away at the age of 27.
In the wake of his brother's passing, the Cavaliers gave Kyle as much time to spend with his family as he needed. He eventually returned to the team just in time to get ready for another playoff push, although he did not get off to a great start once the postseason.
Still, those early struggles did not cause Korver to fold, and he bounced back in a big way to help the Cavaliers capture some crucial wins.
Korver still thinks of his brother all the time, and as Windhorst relayed, the 37-year-old forward has relied on prayer and his faith to get him through this time of grief.
The members of his family also continue to support one another and their prayers are reaching Kirk now in a place where he can be at peace eternally.
The Cavaliers and Korver face a difficult challenge for the remainder of the 2018 NBA Finals as they will attempt to stave off elimination and become the only team to come back from a three-game deficit.
For Korver and his family, however, the greatest challenge of this year has passed, and they will continue to soldier on while constantly thinking of Kirk.
Korver will be in action again when the Cavaliers face off against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the Finals.
