TORONTO _ Cavaliers center Channing Frye has been excused indefinitely from the team following the death of his mother.
He missed Friday's game at Toronto and will not play in Saturday's home game against the Orlando Magic.
Karen Mulzac-Frye died Thursday night after a long battle with cancer. She enjoyed a successful career as an Emmy-winning reporter and producer in Phoenix. One of her projects in 2009 was When Cancer Returns 8X: The Mary Schnack Story, a short documentary about her close friend who ultimately died after eight different bouts with cancer.
Frye kept his mother's illness quiet. Coach Tyronn Lue didn't even know until a couple of days ago. Lue's mother, Kim, had her own cancer battle last season. Lue addressed the situation with the team on Thursday.
"For him to internalize it this whole time without saying anything to anyone is tough," Lue said. "It's a tough time for him. We have to be here as brothers to support him and do whatever we need to do to make sure he's OK."
Richard Jefferson, a close friend of Frye for nearly 20 years, declined to talk about the situation.
"He's been in communication with everybody," Jefferson said. "I think it's best if everyone just kind of lets him handle it how he chooses, especially when he gets back.
