Former Cleveland Cavaliers Coach Sounds Off On LeBron James

Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt revealed some strong thoughts about his short stint with LeBron James, which was now nearly a decade ago.

Dec 11, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) high fives head coach David Blatt (R) against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. The Cavaliers won 111-76. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

When LeBron James first returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the summer of 2014, David Blatt was the head coach. It seemed like an odd match right from the beginning.

Blatt had no NBA head-coaching experience. James was fresh off four straight finals appearances with the Miami Heat, which included back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.

Something had to give.

It ended up being Blatt.

The Cavaliers fired Blatt after a season-and-a-half, even though Cleveland had made it to the finals in Blatt's first year and were sitting at 30-11 midway through the 2015-16 campaign.

Did Blatt get a raw deal? Perhaps, but even still, he is glad he had the experience.

“Look, I’m glad I had the opportunity to coach the greatest player in the 21st century,” Blatt told Sam Amick of the Athletic. “Now whether (coaching the Cavs) finished in the best way in terms of my staying with the team or not, that’s one part of it. Whether I can look back and say, ‘You know, I was part of the team that ultimately did lead to a championship in the NBA.’ That’s pretty special, you know?"

Tyronn Lue ended up supplanting Blatt as the coach and led the Cavaliers to a championship in June 2016, upending the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

"So I have no regrets. I’m thankful for that period of my life," Blatt said. "Looking back, does that define my career? No. But am I happy that I had the chance to coach a player, or players, on that level in my career? Yeah. Hell yeah. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.”

Blatt has not coached in the NBA since his stint in Cleveland, but he did land jobs in Turkey and Greece before stepping away from coaching altogether in 2019.

The 65-year-old is currently serving as a consultant for the Canadian men's basketball team.

Blatt went 97-46—including playoffs—during his time with the Cavs.