David Fizdale said he wouldn't have become the Memphis Grizzlies head coach if it wasn't for LeBron James back when the two were with the Miami Heat.
Fizdale admired James' basketball intelligence, diligence and leadership as the Heat trekked to back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. There are a lot of similarities in the way the two operate when it comes to basketball, but James will never be a head coach in the NBA, according to Fizdale.
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"He would kill somebody. Perfection is like [his standard]. He wants perfection," Fizdale told reporters Tuesday. "I could see him actually owning his own team and doing something like that, but I think [as a coach], he would end up killing a player at some point because they wouldn't live up to the expectations that he would set forth."
James agreed with Fizdale's comments following a 103-86 win over the Grizzlies Tuesday.
"Yeah, he's a little right," James told reporters. "I don't have, my patience is not — you've got to be very patient as a coach. I don't think I have that much patience. Not that much."
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While Fizdale teased James' for his meticulousness, he praised him for being a great mentor in Miami.
"I don't know if you'll ever find anyone better than [James] and [Dwyane Wade] and Chris Bosh and those guys I was with down there [in Miami]," Fizdale said. "They were incredible leaders and basketball geniuses, so I was very lucky to be a part of that."