(CLEVELAND) — The Cleveland Cavaliers have fired Israeli David Blatt after only a year and a half into his contract with the team, according to sources.
The firing comes only a few days following a lopsided 132-98 bashing at the hands of National Basketball Assocation champions, the Golden State Warriors, on national television.
Blatt, a high profile former professional player who coached in Israel, posted an overall 83-40 record with Cleveland and took them to the NBA Finals in only his first season as coach. The Cavaliers won only two games before the Warrior took the series 4-2 and captured the NBA crown, their first title in 40 years.
The sudden firing stands in direct contradiction to what seems to be another outstanding season for the team, which has legendary LeBron James in its lineup of stars.
The Cavaliers’ record in the Eastern Conference is 30-11, which is the best of any team in the conference. There are three teams in the Western Conference – the Golden State Warrior, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder – who have posted better records than the Cavaliers thus far this season.
Sources suggest that Tyronn Lue will be taking over the reins at the Quicken Loans Arena where the Cavaliers play.
