Surprised LeBron: I didn't influence Blatt firing
LeBron James stressed that he did not influence the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ coaching change, saying that he was “surprised and caught off guard” by the decision to fire David Blatt.
James addressed the media Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers fired Blatt and replaced him with assistant Tyronn Lue.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin on Friday disputed the notion that James was part of the franchise’s decision-making process regarding Blatt, saying that the four-time MVP “doesn’t run this organization.”
James echoed those comments Saturday, saying he is not worried about the perception of his impact on coaching decisions.
“That’s not my concern,” he said. “I found out about it just like every other player on this team at 3:30 yesterday. … I think [Griffin] was right on everything he said. … Like it or love it or hate it, we got to respect it.”
A source close to James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that James “didn’t know this was coming” before Griffin gathered the Cavs at the practice facility to inform them that Blatt had been fired.
Sources also told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that although James’ fondness for Lue and his desire to be coached by a former player were well-known throughout Cleveland’s organization, James was not directly consulted Friday on the Cavs’ decision.
“For me, I can’t get caught up and worried about what other people are thinking,” James said. “I stopped doing that a long time ago in my career. … The only thing I can worry about is how I can get these guys better prepared and we can play better basketball.”
James also addressed his relationship with Lue, who also spoke to the media Saturday.
“We’ve been friends since I was 17 years old,” James said. “But it ended today. … He’s still the coach and I’m underneath him.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.
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