Did LeBron James secretly orchestrate to have Cavs head coach David Blatt fired? Many in the league seem to think so.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers decided to fire head coach David Blatt late Friday night, most fans were shocked.
Why would the Cavs get rid of someone who helped take their team to the championship last year and also has them dominating the Eastern Conference this year?
Rumors circulating around the NBA is LeBron James helped to get Blatt fired. But how true is that and should we believe it?
The biggest evidence against that claim came from James himself. When asked about Blatt’s firing, he gave what seemed to be an honest answer, “I found out about it just like every other player on this team at 3:30 yesterday.”
So…. LeBron James basically fired David Blatt, right? https://t.co/zhPqX2Q0zj
— His And Hers (@HisAndHers) January 25, 2016
If he was, LeBron James likely wouldn’t admit this to the media. But let’s look at his history…
It has been reported that James was in on more than one move made by the Cavaliers.
When James returned to Cleveland, the Cavs were determined to keep him for good and what better way to keep a superstar than give him what he wants.
Cavs GM David Griffin hasn’t really disputed that fact saying, “He has the most thorough understanding of X’s and O’s on the floor and best mind for the game off the floor of any human being I’ve ever known. Coach, front-office person, anything. It would be crazy for me not to consult with him on what we want to do.”
While it would be silly for Griffin not to at least clue James in on Blatt’s potential to be fired, but to allow him to make big franchise decisions? That’s completely ridiculous, no matter how good James is.
To go back to my original question, should we trust what the Cavs and James are telling us about Blatt? Absolutely not.
James wouldn’t willingly admit to knowing about Blatt’s firing and Griffin’s embarrassment over allowing James such power would give it all away. While it might seem like a strictly front-office decision, it’s not hard to think about how much power James truly has that we know nothing about.
Featured image via The Fanatics View
