Cavs join nation in mourning following tragic helicopter, plane crash

On Wednesday night, an American Airlines regional passenger jet carrying 64 people and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers collided in midair. The crash happened in the Washington, D.C. area.

Tragically, there were no survivors from the accident, according to President Donald Trump. There were some athletes aboard the regional jet, which was carrying a number of figure skaters, parents and coaches.

The entire nation has come together to mourn the tragic loss of life in the crash between the jet and helicopter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers expressed their condolences with a classy post on X.

Trump made some controversial comments after the crash, implying that diversity hiring could be to blame for the tragedy as he called out Democratic politicians and policies. Currently, no cause is known for the disaster.

Wednesday’s collision marked the deadliest air carrier crash in the country since all the way back in November of 2001, when a passenger jet crashed in Queens, N.Y. and took the lives of 265 people. That crash came about two months after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

Given Wednesday’s tragedy, it’s understandable if some folks won’t exactly have basketball at the top of their minds when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.

Despite everything going on, Donovan Mitchell and company will still have a game to play. They’ll be seeking their third consecutive win. After the Cavaliers endured a three-game losing streak recently, the team has bounced back, earning victories over the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat this week.

Cleveland can also increase its narrow lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA with a win. The Cavaliers own a record of 38-9 on the campaign, while Oklahoma City is right behind them with a 37-9 record. The Thunder just picked up their ninth loss of the season on Wednesday to a Golden State Warriors team that has been hovering around the .500 mark for a little while now.