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NBA: 15 Harshest Coach Firings Of All Time

By Phil Watson

Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (right) reacts beside forward LeBron James (23) against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (right) reacts beside forward LeBron James (23) against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (center) and assistant coach Tyronn Lue (right) stand near forward LeBron James (23) against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. New York won 95-90. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (center) and assistant coach Tyronn Lue (right) stand near forward LeBron James (23) against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. New York won 95-90. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Cavaliers Dismiss David Blatt (Jan. 22, 2016)

The wounds are still fresh from the firing of David Blatt by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Blatt was let go despite the Cavs being in first place in the Eastern Conference at 30-11 and an 83-40 overall record in less than two seasons at the helm. He became the first coach to be fired with his team leading a conference race.

NBA.com’s David Aldridge reported on Monday, citing a supporter of Blatt’s, that LeBron James was “1,000 percent” behind the firing.

Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Cleveland Cavaliers

But Blatt’s arrogance didn’t endear him to players, either. There were also reports, according to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, that Blatt treated the stars differently than other players and had trouble drawing up plays in timeouts (a claim I find hard to believe from a guy who has been a professional coach for more than 20 years).

But he could come off as arrogant, bristling as being called a “rookie head coach” during his first season in the NBA and reminding anyone who would listen about all the game he won in Europe and Israel.

But this was the NBA, the unquestioned top league in the world, and anything you’ve done anywhere else is irrelevant here.

The Aftermath For Blatt: Unclear, although there are reports already linking him to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Aftermath For The Cavaliers: Unclear, but new coach Tyronn Lue is 1-1 with a bad loss at home to the Chicago Bulls and a shaky win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

Next: Shot From The Tank