From the article: http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming
If Thibs ends up in Cleveland I'll sell my left nut. The only person quoted in the piece is Windhorst, who said that James 'actually wouldn't mind if the Euroleague import keeps coaching the Cavs because he "likes having Blatt to kick around."' Lebron wants to essentially act as coach and Blatt is more than happy to give him that opportunity. I'm glad you posted this article, though, GB. Stein's article pisses me off to no end. Did it strike anyone else as racist and tone deaf? I read the gist of Stein's article as stating that Blatt hasn't coached well: And Lebron James is one of the smartest and most talented players in NBA history: Stein however believes that Tim Duncan is a better player because he respects his coach: Stein never makes the argument that James should listen to Blatt because it would make the team better. That would be absurd. As he readily admits, James is a giant in terms of his knowledge of the game. Instead, Stein only makes the argument that James is not on the level of the truly greats because he doesn't pay Blatt enough respect; that he must stop emasculating Blatt. Why does James have to stop emasculating Blatt? Lebron James is arguably the smartest player in the history of the NBA. Blatt is a footnote. If Lebron James looked like Steve Nash this article would have been about how Blatt is lucky to have James to rely upon. /end rant
Because its not professional to emasculate the head coach of your team? Lebron is the smartest guy on the court, but still, there still is a head coach position for a reason. There are other ways Lebron can get his point across and express his displeasure. If Lebron thinks Blatt is that much of an idiot, then he really should be shown the door. I don't see the value-add in the top player though publicly embarrassing the head coach. It doesn't seem very smart to do that, if the goal is to win the NBA Championship. Now, Lebron simply might not care one way or the other. Still though, its kind of a childish way to behave.
Right, LJ is acting childish. Stein basically said LJ can't be an all time great because he acts childish in some of his relationships. When did it start to matter whether he was nice? Is he functionally acting any different than Peyton Manning?
Well, I think James is an all-time great so while that isn't the right way to act, IMO, I don't think it really discounts his all-time-greatness on the basketball court. If Stein is saying that James isn't on the Mt Rushmore of basketball anymore that's just stupid. I'm not sure if guys like Peyton Manning or Steve Nash have treated their head coaches in such a way before. If your point is that the media covers this situation differently for James versus those guys I don't really know one way or another. Did Nash ever emasculate D'Antoni? In any case, that isn't the right way to act and there is a more professional way to go about things. Any NBA coach is lucky to have Lebron James on the team, that's for sure.
LeBron wants to win. We're talking about the coach who almost blew a playoff game against us by calling a timeout he didn't have. Would have been a technical foul. The Cavs didn't look like a well coached team. They got less from Love than Minny did, for example. He gave up South Beach to go home. He wants to win. Win is what Thibs does.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-b...-david-blatt-during-nba-finals-204950403.html Report: LeBron James repeatedly defied David Blatt during NBA Finals In one context, though, James might have been doing way, way too much. ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote Thursday that, on multiple occasions, he "saw LeBron emasculate [Cavaliers head coach] David Blatt in ways that are simply unbecoming of a player of James' legend-in-the-making stature." More from Stein: I saw it from close range in my role as sideline reporter through the Finals for ESPN Radio. LeBron essentially calling timeouts and making substitutions. LeBron openly barking at Blatt after decisions he didn't like. LeBron huddling frequently with [assistant coach Tyronn] Lue and so often looking at anyone other than Blatt. There was LeBron, in one instance I witnessed from right behind the bench, shaking his head vociferously in protest after one play Blatt drew up in the third quarter of Game 5, amounting to the loudest nonverbal scolding you could imagine. Which forced Blatt, in front of his whole team, to wipe the board clean and draw up something else. [...] How is any fellow Cavalier going to treat Blatt with something resembling reverence when LeBron treats him like a bench ornament in plain view? How can LeBron publicly laud his own leadership, as he so often does, when setting that sort of tone?
Right. I also saw LJ continually mixing up his looks and schemes. That's what I think makes him such a terror on both ends. If a team throws the same looks at an opponent for too long in the playoffs they're going to get beat. So, you see coaches who are good at game planning, like Thibs, fundamentally change how his team guards James for each game, which of course doesn't work. You throw the same thing at James for more than a couple of plays and he starts to anticipate what you're doing. James, on the other hand, is pure chaos on opposing offenses. You don't know who he's going to guard, when he's going to double or what passing lanes he's going to be hanging out in. You'd call his brand of ball undisciplined if he wasn't so well informed and disruptive.
Against us, if DunVP made a shot or two, LeBron would guard him until he cooled off. Then he switched onto the next guy we had who was making baskets. I don't think Blatt is a good coach at all. The offense I saw was guys standing around the 3pt line waiting for LeBron to drive and score or dish. BORING.
Lebron James is the best basketball player on the planet. I don't like him. The way he's treated Blatt is an example of the kind of behavior that shapes my dislike. I think that eventually I'll declare James the best NBA player ever and I still won't like him. Thibodeau would be the worst possible choice for the Cavs. Thibodeau's an Xs and Os coach as opposed to a relationship manager coach. I fear that Thibodeau's head would explode if he drew up a play and Lebron summarily shit on it. I wouldn't mind seeing it happen, but understand that I go to NASCAR races for the crashes. I really think that the Cavs should name Lebron the player-coach and let James hire someone to assist him.
I feel the same way. The thing I struggle with is that I was a huge fan of Jordan as a kid. And he's just as much of an asshole as James is.
The players on the Bulls always played hard for Thibs and his 5 year stint was pretty much drama-free from the locker room standpoint. I'd say his relationship management skills are pretty strong based on this. He didn't get along with Paxson, but Paxson is the guy who choked the previous coach, so its pretty clear that Paxson is the one with the problem there. Thibs' other employers (world champion celtics, team usa) didn't seem to have any problems with him.
If they brought Thibs into Cleveland, it would be to have a genius NBA mind calling the shots and to have a league leading NBA defense. James respects Thibs from doing battle with the world champion celtics and Thibs Bulls over the years. The rest of the league respects him quite a lot as well, except for GarPax and their devotees.
Jordan's a different kind of asshole, but after that HOF speech, it's hard to deny that he's an asshole.
