The last time we saw David Blatt coaching in the NBA, it was in a Cavs’ win on Jan. 21, 2016. A day later, he was fired by the Cavs and replaced by his assistant, Tyronn Lue, who went on to lead Cleveland to its first NBA title. Since that ouster, Blatt has become coach of Darussafaka in Turkey, but he hasn’t forgotten about the NBA or a return there someday. Allon Sinai of The Jerusalem Post has more:
It won’t happen this summer. But Blatt is determined to give himself another chance to return to the NBA.
“I have an end game and that end game is that I would really like to go back to the NBA,” Blatt told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
“There were no changes in the NBA this year from a coaching standpoint and my real goal is to try next year to get back into the league as a head coach. It may happen and it may not happen. But I wanted to leave that door open for myself if the opportunity arises.”
…
Blatt’s first NBA experience ended disappointingly and abruptly when he was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2015/16 season. He guided the Cavs to the NBA Finals the previous year and the team owned the best record in the East at the time of his sacking.
…
Blatt insists he doesn’t look back and said he remains in touch with several people in the organization, including new general manager Koby Altman, whom he will meet next week in Israel during the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Europe camp.
Blatt almost landed another NBA job last summer, being among the final candidates for the openings in New York, Houston and Sacramento.
“Sometimes you can be right there and at the last moment you don’t get it and that’s life,” said Blatt. “That is the realistic and competitive environment of trying to get a job of that nature. There is no guarantee.”
…
Blatt will return to Turkey next week to begin Darussafaka’s preparations for 2017/18. He is fully focused on guiding the team to a successful campaign, all the while hoping that it will be his last in Europe for the time being before he makes a return to the NBA.
“There are only 30 NBA jobs in the whole world and I have had one before and in many ways it was pretty good,” said Blatt.
“There have been a lot of very good coaches that have sat out more than a year and have made their way back to the NBA and have been very successful. I can’t say that I have a 100 percent chance, but on the other hand I have on what to stand. If it is in the cards then it will happen and if it’s not then I’ll do other things.”
