The Cleveland Cavaliers were basically run by LeBron James from 2014 to 2018. LeBron returned to the franchise to win a title in his hometown after winning two for the Miami Heat from 2011 to 2014, leading them to the promised land in 2016 and solidifying himself as the greatest figure in Cleveland basketball history.
One of the key decisions that enabled Cleveland’s famous 2016 title was the decision to appoint Tyronn Lue as head coach midseason despite previous coach David Blatt leading the team to a 30-11 record and the No. 1 seed at the time of his dismissal. LeBron James’ role in the dismissal has always been discussed, but former Cavaliers center Brendan Haywood laid out the real truth behind Blatt’s dismissal.
In an appearance on the TFU Podcast, Haywood revealed how the impact of LeBron overruling Blatt’s play-call during Game 2 against the Chicago Bulls in the second round and hitting a self-created game-winner led to his dismissal.
“He didn’t get fired after the season. He got fired in the middle of the next season. So, we go to the NBA Finals, and the next year, the Cavs are in first place, and he got fired. It’s because of… It was kind of the way he ran practice; he was scared to coach LeBron. Certain substitution patterns.”
“When it was time to draw the play up in the huddle, he’d be a little uneasy. That first year, when we were on the way to the Finals. You remember the shot LeBron hit to beat Chicago? Blatt drew that play for J.R. Smith. Bron had to snatch the clipboard away from him. That play in Chicago was supposed to be for J.R., he loved J.R., he had the utmost confidence in J.R. No disrespect to him, but we all thought the play was going to LeBron.”
“He’s (Blatt) is like, ‘Ok, J.R.,’ and Bron grabbed the clipboard like, ‘Absolutely not!’ and snatched the clipboard, erased coach’s play, and wrote his own play. That was the play that won… That’s the iconic shot he hit over Jimmy Butler. He had to call his own play, so that was part of it. It was an iconic moment, but those were the reasons Coach Blatt got fired. You’re not supposed to draw up a play for anyone but LeBron James. When you need those ATO plays, it wasn’t crisp.”
Haywood also revealed that Blatt’s inability to call LeBron James out when he needed to be called out also caused him to lose respect within the locker room, which led to his dismissal. Lead assistant Lue was already excelling at doing the things Blatt wouldn’t do, and thrived in the role.
“When you’re in the film session, sometimes you gotta tell ‘Bron, ‘Yo, you gotta be here.’ He acted like he didn’t see it. The players see it. Tristan didn’t get back on defense, so you called Tristan out, but when it’s Bron, you just keep clicking past the play, and everybody is like, ‘Come on man, we see that.’ Over time, those little things became big things, and that’s why they fired him.”
“I wasn’t surprised. I had nothing against David Blatt; I think he’s a great man, but I understood why they made that switch. Everything that David Blatt didn’t do, Tyronn Lue was already doing because that’s naturally in him. So, that’s why Tyronn Lue’s been the great coach that he is. He was already challenging LeBron… Lue already had the respect of the players.”
Coach Lue played a huge role in leading the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA Championship, especially their 3-1 Finals comeback over the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James was the star man, but coach Lue’s presence helped extract more out of him in the Playoffs in a way coach Blatt wouldn’t have done. That applies to the efforts of the entire locker room.
Haywood wasn’t on the 2016 title team, so he likely didn’t see the exact circumstances that led to Blatt’s firing in real-time. But as a veteran presence on the 2015 Finals team led by Blatt, he likely saw these issues brew over a season before they boiled over in 2015-16 for a midseason dismissal.
Coach Lue has gone on to establish himself as one of the best coaches in the NBA, while LeBron left the Cavaliers in 2018 and wound up bringing a championship to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. The 41-year-old is still leading teams and has had his fair share of issues with head coaches since Blatt, but he’s still one of the smartest players on the court at all times.
