Former Cavaliers Head Coach David Blatt Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis
By Kevin Aquino
Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or MS. The 60-year-old veteran coach says he was diagnosed with the condition a few months ago.
Blatt has been coaching overseas since leaving the NBA, currently leading Olympiacos B.C. of the Greek League and EuroLeague, and intends to continue daily life as normal as possible with the help of his staff.
Former Cavs coach David Blatt announced that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. https://t.co/RbMZ2zdPrq
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) August 19, 2019
The nerve-damaging disease has caused body weakness and balance issues for Blatt, but a fitness regiment has been a part of his daily routine in order to combat the symptoms.
Blatt is most known for coaching the Cavaliers from 2014 to 2016, where he was LeBron James' first head coach upon the star's return to Cleveland. The Cavs made the NBA Finals in Blatt's first season, only to come up short to Golden State.
Whatever you may be going through in your life, David Blatt’s comments about his MS diagnosis are worth your time. “We are open and honest with ourselves and with others seeking awareness and not hiding or shying away from the perception of vulnerability” https://t.co/DfIpXpBlqq
— Chris Carrino (@ChrisCarrino) August 19, 2019
The Massachusetts native was then fired halfway through the 2015-16 season, prompting Ty Lue to take over as interim head coach. Lue would lead Cleveland on the sidelines as they erased a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in the NBA Finals to capture their first-ever title.
Blatt amassed an 83-40 NBA record, but opted to return to Europe where he won EuroLeague Coach of the Year and led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a EuroLeague championship in 2014.