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Israelis slam LeBron James over local hero Blatt's firing

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The 2014 hiring by the Cleveland Cavaliers of David Blatt, an Israeli citizen who led powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv to a European title, gave Israelis a jolt of pride

Jerusalem (AFP) - Israelis on Sunday harshly criticised the firing of local hero David Blatt as coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, calling him the victim of superstar LeBron James's influence over the team.

One sports commentator even compared Israelis' hate of James to their hate of Islamist movement Hamas, while insulting and racist comments written in Hebrew littered his Instagram account.