Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt’s first NBA season has been quite an eye-opener.
He helped lead Cleveland back into the NBA Finals, but it was treacherous journey: there were many calls for his firing after the LeBron James-led Cavs got off to a 19-20 start.
Blatt admits that his first year in the League has been tougher than he could have ever imagined.
Per USA Today:
Blatt has been a coaching nomad in Israel, Italy, Turkey, Russia and Greece. But he spent the time in Europe, much closer to his family – his wife and four children. […] “For me, the most difficult part was being away from my four kids. No doubt,” Blatt said.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who wanted Blatt on his staff, had a conversation with Blatt when the two teams played in Oakland on Jan. 9. […] “It was before the game in the hallway outside the locker room,” Kerr said. “I don’t remember exactly what we talked about, but I do remember part of it being the pressure that comes in this business, but especially when you’re coaching LeBron and the expectations that come your way. Then as soon as things go a little bit south, what happens with the media, with the fans.”
Blatt is honest about his foray into NBA coaching. “The learning curve was greater than I thought it would be. It’s a lot of things on and off the court because the whole off-the-court picture of the NBA is so much more significant than it is in Europe that it’s almost undefinable and the on-the-court aspect, too, is very, very different. […] I know I said many times the game is the game. Well, it’s not. It’s different. It’s different in many, many ways.”
