On Friday, the front office of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers fired their Head Coach, Israeli American David Blatt – aggravating just about everybody in the league except the team – and possibly the coach himself.
Blatt, who made aliyah from the United States in 1981, served in the IDF and married the star player on an Israeli women’s team he coached, probably knew the end was coming.
It was a style thing. The personalities on the team were having issues with how Blatt was handling the rotations. General Manager David Griffin explained that he had “never seen a locker room not be as connected after wins as they need to be. We’ve only been galvanized when expectations were not high.”
Cavs star LeBron James had issues, having returned to the team two weeks after Blatt was hired. That was probably the biggest problem. And one of LeBron’s best friends was the assistant coach, waiting in the wings.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert supported Griffin’s decision to fire Blatt – it’s the team’s third coach in four seasons – despite the fact that Blatt led them to a 30-11 record atop the Eastern Conference.
Blatt finished his run with the team with an 83-40 regular season record, having led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals last season – his first as a Head Coach there – before losing to the Golden State Warriors.
Assistant Coach Tyronn Lue was immediately promoted to Head Coach, signed to a multi-year contract. Lue is a former NBA point guard and has been a friend of LeBron since the two were 17.
Lue lost his first game as a Head Coach last night, with the Chicago Bulls trampling the Cavaliers 96-83. Cavalier fans booed their own team at home during Lue’s coaching debut.
Blatt himself was graceful in his acceptance of the situation.
“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the Head Coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Blatt said in a statement. “I’d like to thank [owner] Dan Gilbert and David Griffin for giving me this opportunity and am honored to have worked with an amazing group of players from LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love through our entire roster. I’d also like to express my extreme gratitude to my coaching staff. I am indebted to them for their professionalism, hard work, loyalty and friendship. I am proud of what we have accomplished since I have been the Head Coach and wish the Cavaliers nothing but the best this season and beyond.”
Blatt is one of the most successful coaches in history in Europe, a record no one in the United States can dispute. This year, he has taken the Cavaliers to the Finals; in the NBA that counts for more than a dismissal by the front office because they had to contend with egos on the court.
James LeBron was told about the decision on Friday, according to ESPN, but team management took great pains to point out that he was not “directly consulted” in any way. It is generally known throughout the league, however, that LeBron has been unhappy with Blatt since the start of his tenure. “I found out about it just like every other player on this team at 3:30 yesterday,” he told reporters on Saturday. “I think [Griffin] was right on everything he said … Like it or love it or hate it, we got to respect it.”
Reactions from other coaches around the league to Friday’s firing over what Griffin called Blatt’s “disconnect” ranged from confusion and disdain to outrage.
Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy ranted to reporters, “It’s embarrassing for the league…. we all get into this no matter what happens. You’re supposed to win. He did. He did, and now he’s still getting fired… That one – to me – elevated all of the coach firings totally into the theater of the absurd… I don’t know if anybody knows what the expectations of coaches are anymore.”