Ever since the Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt, there have been rumors galore about the involvement of LeBron James in the decision.
Most believe that it was LeBron’s call to have Blatt fired. Since then, reports have come out saying that a primary reason LeBron left Miami for Cleveland was because the Heat refused to fire Erik Spoelstra. Given all of these rumors, some have labeled LeBron a ‘coach killer.’
LeBron doesn’t like that term, and thinks it’s unfair. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin spoke to James about the accusations.
“[Being called a coach killer] sucks,” James said. “But what can I do about it? I’ve never, in my time since I picked up a basketball, ever undermined a coach, ever disrespected a coach. You ask any of my little league coaches, my high school coaches, coaches I’ve played for in tournaments, camps, my NBA coaches. I’ve always respected what they wanted to do. And I’m not the owner of a team, I’m not the GM of a team. I’m the player of a team.
“People get it so misconstrued because I’m a smart basketball player and I’ve voiced my opinion about certain things, which I did when I was here my first stint with Paul Silas and Mike Brown. Which I did in Miami with Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra]. Which I did with Blatt and I’ll do with T-Lue. And at the end of the day, they’ll still have their final call.”
Who’s to say whether or not LeBron played a role in getting Blatt fired? I wouldn’t rule it out given the amount of reliable sources who claim that he did. I am skeptical of reports that he tried to get Spoelstra involved though, since their relationship never seemed particularly strained.
At the end of the day, you’ve sort of got to feel bad for guys like LeBron. A lot of people hate him, and start a lot of rumors about him. That’s the life of a celebrity
