David Blatt Meets With Cleveland Cavaliers About Job

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By JTA June 16, 2014

David Blatt, who recently resigned from his job as coach of the championship Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team, is set to meet with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

Blatt will interview Wednesday with the Cleveland Cavaliers for their vacant head coaching position, Yahoo Sports first reported Sunday citing what it called “league sources.”

Blatt, 55, stepped down last week from his job with Maccabi Tel Aviv, after guiding the team to this year’s Euroleague basketball championship, saying during a news conference that “I will intensify my talks with NBA teams. I just want to realize a dream and hold a significant role with an NBA team.”

The Cavs, who fired Mike Brown last month for a second time, have not commented on such reports.

New York, Minnesota and Golden State reportedly are interested in Blatt, who holds U.S. and Israeli citizenship, to fill slots as an assistant coach. The Boston native reportedly has turned down NBA assistant coaching jobs in the past. It is believed that Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr already has offered Blatt a position and will be looking for a response this week.

Along with leading Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Euroleague title last month, Blatt coached Russia to a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Blatt played for Princeton University from 1977 to 1981 and was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s basketball team at the 1981 Maccabiah Games. Following the games, Blatt played for several Israeli teams until he was injured in 1993 and took up coaching.

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