Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Slams Media Regarding LeBron James' Choice to Go Back to Cleveland
The return of LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers could be attributed to a number of reasons and there have been notions that the San Antonio Spurs are partly to blame. The Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich doesn't quite sit well with those allegations. He was asked about those notions Wednesday during a practice for their game against the Cavaliers yesterday.
"Nothing. You guys have to have something to say. I'd be saying the same stuff if I had your job… It's cool," Popovich said.
Afterwards, the coach was then asked if he was surprised when James went home to Cleveland after the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat in the finals 4-1.
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"No. I always thought you guys always had something to say. If LeBron went right, you said he should have gone left. If he shot, he should have passed it. If he passed it, he should have shot it, and I always thought that was all baloney," he said.
"He's a great player. He's not just athletic. He's incisive. He understands the game the way Magic Johnson did, the way Larry Bird did, the way Tim Duncan does. He knows a whole lot more of about what he's doing and what he has been doing than you all. He's a character guy, he's good people, and he's got a great heart," the coach explained.
James had shared that if the Heat won that Finals series, it would certainly have been difficult to exit the summer with the chance to attempt a four-peat in the next season. Popovich respects James' decision and is genuinely happy for him.
"I'm just happy for him whether he went to Timbuktu, he should do what's best for him, his family. Everybody else can go swim in a lake. You all do what you want to do; LeBron should be able to do what he loves to do," Popovich added.
