David Blatt on Friday was fired as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and replaced by associate coach Tyronn Lue, the first coach axed with his team atop an NBA conference.
Blatt confirmed the firing in a Twitter statement, which came after back-to-back wins by the Cavaliers.
“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 said.
Photo: AP
The Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record, third-best in the league behind Golden State and San Antonio, and figure to be contending for the title again after losing to Golden State in last year’s NBA Finals.
However, reports said despite the success, Blatt had lost support within the locker room and there was a sense that he was not the coach who could guide the Cavaliers to the championship, the main goal of superstar LeBron James when he rejoined his home-region club in 2014.
A humbling 132-98 loss to Golden State on Monday did nothing to make the Cavaliers feel as if they could stop the Warriors this time around either.
Blatt became the seventh NBA coach in 40 years to reach a final only to be fired the next season.
Lue signed a three-year contract to be the team’s head coach, according to Yahoo! Sports, with Lue said to command the respect of the locker room in general and James particularly.
Questions had nagged Blatt since near the start of his tenure. He had been selected as coach of the team in June of 2014 just weeks before James announced he was leaving the Miami Heat to rejoin the Cavaliers.
Suddenly Blatt, who made his name as a coach in Israel and by leading Russia to a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, was guiding a team with nothing less than championship aspirations, payroll and talent.
ESPN reported that James was not consulted about the move beforehand.
Blatt leaves his first NBA coaching post with an 83-40 record and a club-record .675 winning percentage.
The Cavaliers are rounding into shape after injuries. Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert missed the first two months of the campaign with injuries, while center Timofey Mozgov and James have battled ailments as well at times this season.
“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Blatt said.
“I would like to thank [team owner] Dan Gilbert and [general manager] 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,” he said.
“I would also like to express my extreme gratitude to my coaching staff,” he said. “I am indebted to them for their professionalism, hard work, loyalty and friendship.”
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