One man who used to coach LeBron James has joined others in speaking out after the firing of the most recent ex-coach of the Cavaliers' superstar.
Erik Spoelstra, who coached James during his four seasons with the Heat, called Cleveland's recent firing of coach David Blatt “disturbing.”
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"It's very disturbing for the coaching profession," Spoelstra said Sunday, via the Miami Herald. "Look, you have to be able to go through collective adversity and accountability together for you to make strides and have breakthroughs in this league. It's really a shame."
Blatt was fired by the Cavaliers on Friday despite coaching the team to the NBA Finals last season and an Eastern Conference-best 30-11 mark this season.
"He had an incredible run, a great record," Spoelstra said. "It just doesn't make any sense to any of the coaches around the league, and hopefully it doesn't make sense to a lot of people in our league."
Spoelstra is one of several coaches, including Gregg Popovich of the Spurs and Rick Carlisle of the Mavericks, who have expressed varying amounts of displeasure with the Cavs' decision. Both Spoelstra and Blatt coached James, who reportedly influenced Blatt's firing. James denied those reports, saying he was "surprised and caught off-guard."
Spoelstra found himself in a similar situation with James during the 2010 season — James' first in Miami — as James grew frustrated with the then-rookie head coach. But the Heat, under the watchful eye of Pat Riley, stuck with Spoelstra and went to four NBA Finals with James, winning championships in 2012 and 2013.