REVENGE ON THE KING
Knicks coaching target Blatt seeking NBA redemption after running afoul of LeBron in Cleveland
The unseemly details of former Cavaliers coach David Blatt’s sour relationship with LeBron James in Cleveland were spelled out in a recent book, “Return of The King.’’
In an interview published Saturday in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, and translated from Hebrew, Blatt declined to talk about the book by Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin, but admitted he didn’t “realize my potential’’ in the NBA and wants to redeem himself.
The Steve Mills-Scott Perry research-and-development coaching tour is bound for Europe this week to meet with Blatt, who confirmed, “I’ve been scheduled to talk to the Knicks.’’ First, brass will meet with Hawks coach Mike Budenolzer on Sunday after receiving permission from Atlanta, according to a source.
Though Blatt’s team, Darussafaka Istanbul, won the EuroCup last week, Blatt, a suburban Boston native, still is in the midst of the tail end of the European season.
Blatt’s relationship with Mills, the Knicks team president, is strong, dating to their days at Princeton, where they shared the backcourt for four seasons. Blatt also played at Princeton with Knicks player developmental director Craig Robinson. Mills, while general manager, had Blatt interview for the Knicks job in 2016, but then-president Phil Jackson went with Jeff Hornacek, whose firing on April 12 prompted the coaching search.
Blatt’s relationship with James and some Cavaliers players is the issue that led to his ouster as coach midway through his second season in Cleveland after he took the club to The Finals as a rookie NBA coach in 2014-15.
That Mills didn’t hire former Cavaliers GM David Griffin is hardly a surprise since Griffin fired one of his dearest friends midway through the 2015-16 season despite a 30-11 record. Blatt still got his jewelry after Tyronn Lue’s club upset the Warriors to win the championship.
“I was in the NBA Finals,’’ Blatt told Haaretz. “I even have a [championship] ring, even though I wasn’t there in real time. I’m not lacking anything. What I am lacking is just personal satisfaction, realizing my potential and that of my players to the fullest.
“I want to try to return to the NBA, because I feel like I hadn’t realized my potential there, but even if it doesn’t happen, I will return to help my teams realize their poten- tial even if it’s the EuroLeague.”
There are rumblings Blatt could also talk to Magic officials about their opening.
Asked if being former one of Mills’ closest friends could help, Blatt said: “Not necessarily. He doesn’t owe me anything, but we’ve been friends for 40 years.’’ Blatt added, “I haven’t spoken with other teams, but I believe I will also have interviews with other teams.”
The Israeli reporter reminded Blatt, a four-time Israeli League champion, of his warning before joining the Cavaliers that superstars run the show.
“It turns out that you were right,’’ Blatt told the reporter. “I don’t know if you were [going to be] right or not. Look. I learned a lot from that chapter in my life and I tried to make the best of it. That there are a lot of things to learn about the game, that it’s a different game [in the United States]. Almost everything is different.”
The book “Return of the King’’ presented a mean-spirited portrayal of Blatt, the major theme being he grew “afraid’’ of James, who slighted him time and again, often disputing the coaches postgame remarks. Told of James’ anectodes, Blatt said, “I didn’t read the book and I can’t respond to remarks that I myself have not seen, but to this specifically, I have no response. Next.”
One scene depicted James talking to players in the huddle, with Blatt having “to force his way in.’’ The book mocked Blatt’s timeout usage and his nervous demeanor in the huddle. Once, the book said, Blatt drew up a play for Shawn Marion, who wasn’t in the game.
“Sometimes he would have the same player in two places when he drew up plays or assign the same man to two different assignments on defense,’’ the authors wrote. “Other times his hands were shaking as he drew the lines.’’
The book accused Blatt of “clamming up’’ when arguments occurred in practices and scrimmages. James especially ranted and raved and “it took Lue to step up and tell James to shut up.’’ Players were said to have believed Blatt was growing “actually afraid of James.’’
The good news is the Knicks don’t have superstars, though that’s the long-term hope for Kristaps Porzingis, who may respect Blatt’s international background more than most. Center Enes Kanter is from Turkey, where Blatt is currently employed.