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发帖数: 1990 | 1 http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14663758/windhorst-lebron-coa
Before answering that, consider a few more things.
How many of James' coaches have been fired? Two.
Paul Silas when James was 20 years old in his second season, the product of
a midseason ownership change. And Blatt.
Mike Brown was fired in 2010 when James was a free agent. Despite rampant
speculation to the contrary, James did not play a direct role in the
decision. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wanted James' influence, but he would not
call Gilbert back so Gilbert guessed. Could he have stopped Brown being
fired? Yes. But he was on his way out of the door.
James went 11 years between coaches being fired while he was on a team. If
you don't accept the explanation on Brown, well then James played for two
head coaches between 2005-14. How many of James' former assistant coaches
have gone on to become head coaches? Mike Malone, John Kuester, Melvin Hunt
and Tyronn Lue. There is absolutely no question their association with him
contributed to their promotions.
Is James sometimes extremely challenging to coaches, especially when he
first starts playing for them? Yes.
Erik Spoelstra had some of the most trying days of his career in his first
months as James' coach in 2010. Mike Krzyzewski considered cutting James
after his first training camp with Team USA in 2006. But both coaches
ultimately experienced huge success with James; Spoelstra won two titles and
Krzyzewski won two gold medals.
Erik Spoelstra's tenure in Miami was not interrupted by LeBron's arrival or
departure. Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports
As long as we're being honest, both still wanted him back. The Heat badly
did in 2014, no matter what they say now. Krzyzewski is hoping for him at
the Rio Olympics this summer.
How many of the coaches who have come out and ripped the Cavs for firing
Blatt would do just about anything to get James on their roster? A fair
guess is a huge majority, if not all.
So let's come back to the question: Is James a coach killer?
Without a doubt, the job of coaching James is extraordinarily challenging.
Without a doubt, James' passive-aggressive nature can make a coach's job
much harder than it needs to be. Without a doubt, James has some blood on
his hands for the way Blatt's tenure went down.
For some, that will be enough to cast the die and brand him with that "coach
killer" moniker -- one of the greatest insults you can give a professional
athlete. It's why James reacted so sharply when the concept was broached
Wednesday.
Paul Silas was LeBron James' first coach in the NBA. Andrew D. Bernstein/
NBAE via Getty Images)
"I think it does suck that people want to throw my name in the dirt," James
said.
But being fair, the record shows a long list of James' coaches getting
awards, getting rich contract extensions, getting bigger jobs or second
chances, coaching All-Star games, getting medals and getting trophies.
A player such as James raises the entire ocean around a franchise. All the
ships rise with it, and sometimes there's seasickness on the way.
Again, to be fair, it wasn't a one-way street. Silas taught James to be a
pro and protected him. Brown taught James the value of defense. Krzyzewski
taught James leadership. Spoelstra taught James efficiency and helped him
become a champion. Blatt, if nothing else, taught James patience, at least
some of it. Each coach has benefitted from the work of the last, and James
has benefited greatly, in aggregate, as well.
So, again, is James a coach killer? When you answer, at least consider the
entire spectrum. |
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