Dan Gilbert says he never considered firing Cavs coach David Blatt: 'He's a good soul'
Dan Gilbert has always believed in David Blatt.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers head into the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007, the owner stressed that, despite rumors about Blatt's imminent dismissal, firing his head coach was never an option.
"I don't care what the expectations were, especially after we changed coaches twice in two years. This was a guy with a long-term record of success," Gilbert told Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Haynes.
"You have to at least give a season, maybe more than just one. I think it would have destabilized the entire franchise and it would have been bad."
After LeBron James returned to his home turf in Ohio, it wasn't smooth sailing for the new coach. The speculation hit a fever pitch when the Cavs were 19-20 at one point.
But the team's luck changed with the calendar year, as they achieved an NBA-best record of 34-9 after Jan. 15, allowing Cleveland to head confidently into the playoffs with Blatt at the helm, sweeping the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Though the rumors died down, they never fully went away. There was speculation that Blatt was again on the cusp of unemployment after nearly calling a timeout he didn't have in Game 4 against the Chicago Bulls, which almost cost Cleveland the game.
The head coach admitted he "almost blew it" if not for assistant coach Tyronn Lue restraining him. Gilbert, however, insisted that it would have been seen as just a mistake.
"Look, there's nobody you can point to in the world that doesn't make a mistake," said Gilbert. "The best players, the best business people, the best coaches. So one thing is not going to make or break a person."
Gilbert saw past the criticism of Blatt as he struggled to get a handle on the team, reaffirming his confidence in the coach.
"I don't think it was so much him as it was the situation. You have to go by some of his body of work. This guy won 17 of 21 seasons. He won championships in four or five different countries and brought the Russians to the Olympic medal round.
"There's something about him. It's hard to put your finger on it, but there's something about him. He's a good soul and he knows how to get these guys to love each other, to play for the team. That to me is the most important thing."