There were some hard truths laid forth on Thursday, centering on the relationship between LeBron James and the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, David Blatt. ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote that he saw James “emasculate” Blatt throughout the playoffs, calling plays and questioning decisions. Later in the day, Cavs general manager David Griffin stepped in front of Blatt, rushing to the coach’s defense and saying he and LeBron thought the coach had done a “hell of a job.”
Stein’s and Griffin’s statements don’t run in disagreement. In fact, they run in perfect accord. The Cavaliers’ decision to hire Blatt came prior to James returning to Cleveland.