Video: LeBron James overruled coach David Blatt on final play
May 11, 2015C-Cap Recap: Swish, Salazar and a Salvaged Weekend
May 11, 2015Happy Monday, you guys. If you’re anything like me, you spent much of Sunday evening coming down from the intense and heart-throttling finish to Game 4. The turnovers by LeBron James were beyond frustrating. The offensive fouls were even more so. If you want to take today to discuss David Blatt and his less-than-stellar final few minutes, suit yourself. He admitted his mistakes and making the next 36 hours about what could have been instead of James’ heroics would be the most Cleveland thing to do. Want to be concerned about Kyrie Irving’s foot? I’ll listen. Want to wonder if Coach Blatt can be “trusted” going forward? I hear there’s an a.m. talk radio spot open.
We’ll have plenty more on the Cavaliers (and the Indians too!) over the next few hours, but While We’re Waiting…
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Before the incredible finishes of the weekend slate of Cavs-Bulls, news came from The New York Times that Bill Simmons is done at ESPN—John Skipper will not be renewing the long-time contributor’s contract come September. Say what you want about Simmons—he’s a Boston homer; his columns are too long and filled with pop culture references (gasp!); he provides commentary on areas in which he lacks expertise; he’s morphed into a blowhard on-air talking head; he said bad things about the team which you root for…
But if you step back and see the e-forest for the trees, you’ll realize what Doug Farrar put best:
Simmons showed you can blast your way in through the back door if you have enough dynamite. Honestly, he made me believe it was possible.
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 8, 2015
While the majority of columnists file their copy through email and move on with their day, Simmons has, for decades, been the visionary who has been a step ahead of the rest of the pack, always working, always being involved. Everything Simmons has done in his career has been effectively replicated by countless others. Whether it was wordy, culture-laced columns, diatribes on in-game announcing teams, his 30 for 30 documentary series, Grantland… Simmons has—with hard work and a boat load of resources—molded on-line sports content into what is today. Without Simmons, there would be no Sports on Earth or whatever NBC’s version is. There would be no SB Nation. There would be no Waiting For Next Year.
We all knew that there was a chance that Simmons would not be at ESPN beyond this year. He didn’t conform and was often in the crosshairs of management and colleagues who thought he was overstepping his boundaries. But it was this overstepping, this envelope pushing, that got Simmons to where he was prior to Friday’s news. The closest corollary is Howard Stern, this generation’s one-in-a-million radio personality who was loathed by plenty due to his axis-tilting show, but had the support of those who mattered. But once things could no longer be justified at NBC (and subsequent other outlets), Stern was forced to go out on his own—he took his brand to an otherwise underutilized medium and his fans followed by the droves. Think this can all be replaced simply because people had tuned in before? Ask David Lee Roth or Adam Corolla how that went. Simmons is brand journalism. Sure, the outlet was important when it came to views (or in Stern’s case, ears), but Bill’s success has never been about page views. It’s been about producing content that we need but didn’t even know we wanted before given the chance to absorb it all in.
There’s little known about what Simmons will do, but while ESPN effectively sliced his bargaining power, there are thoughts that he could be worth $7-10 million per year if the right partner steps up to house his brand. And while ESPN thinks Grantland can flourish without him, not only are they severely underestimating the worth of an Editor in Chief, they’re not exactly factoring in all of the writers who will follow him wherever he goes. Simmons has a chance to be Stern, and just as Howard spawned plenty of copycats who never could quite keep pace, was extremely well compensated to take the chance, to bet on himself and make the jump.
So yeah—say what you want about Bill Simmons. As an outsider, its easy to cherry pick and point out certain things that have occurred over his decade-plus career at ESPN and say that it rubbed you the wrong way, or it’s lazy or it’s some other negative connation that completely misses the point. I’ll choose to believe guys like Farrar or Wright Thompson who, in a recent interview, referred to Simmons as the hardest working guy at ESPN.
Everybody always wants to know, how do you get the job you want. And I think it’s pretty simple, actually. It’s outwork the guy next to you. The hardest working guy at ESPN is Bill Simmons. Without question. I’m not Bill’s target audience; I think Bill’s a very, very good writer. But I’m not his audience.
Every single person who knows him has profound respect for his work ethic. I mean that guy’s a grinder. So you look at the difference between the people who are doing the cool things that everyone wants to be doing and those who aren’t.
You look under the covers enough and you’re going to find a grinder. You look at people on TV: Jeremy Schaap. Grinder. Tom Rinaldi: Grinder. Peter King: Grinder. Chris Jones: Grinder.
You show me the people who you want to be like, and they’re all totally different except for the fact that all of them work their asses off. Everybody. That’s it.
Sometimes it’s those overachievers who draw ire from peers. And other times, that ire only serves to fuel fire that make you keep grinding, keep envisioning, and keep executing at levels that others could only dare to dream of. Is he a pain in the ass? Perhaps. But sometimes it’s those pains in the ass that keep you from sitting still.
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In the event you missed it late Friday or this weekend, I wrote a story on Cavs forward Shawn Marion. We utilized a different layout for the piece, one without a comment field. Please feel free to not only give it a read, but use this post as a surrogate discussion if needed.
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Extinguish those hot takes (especially if they’re about David Blatt) and take in this week’s edition of #ActualSportswriting:
“Split Image” by Kate Fagan (ESPN W): “Everyone presents an edited version of life on social media. People share moments that reflect an ideal life, an ideal self. Hundreds of years ago, we sent letters by horseback, containing only what we wanted the recipient to read. Fifty years ago, we spoke via the telephone, sharing only the details that constructed the self we wanted reflected.”1
“Look at me now, Mom” by Lee Jenkins (Sports Illustrated): “They come from Houston’s Third Ward, L.A.’s Compton corridor, small-town Iowa and rust-tough Michigan. They were athletes before they were mothers: tennis players, power forwards, runners. They watched the Showtime Lakers and the Bad Boy Pistons. They loved Magic and Isiah. They got pregnant and, despite challenges, carried to term.”2
“The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived On” by Wright Thompson (ESPN The Magazine): “Claudia Williams found comfort wearing her dad’s favorite red flannel shirt. It smelled like him. Time frayed the threads, pulled apart seams, and years ago the shirt went into a safe.”3
“The Poison Oasis” by Brin Jonathan-Butler (SB Nation): “If you want to chase a runaway ambulance toward what’s left of the American Dream, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao show you that, still, somehow, boxing remains the yellow brick road in our country.”4
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One more episode of Mad Men. I have no idea which direction they’re taking Don, but it’s evident that the others have their fates set. If you don’t think we’ll be discussing the Series Finale around these parts a week from today, you’re out of your mind. Spoilers shmoilers—stay up and watch it.
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And finally, the latest from John Oliver. Have a heck of a Monday, kids. Go Cavs.
- Easily the must-read piece of the week. As someone who is very active on social media, especially Instagram, it’s easy to appreciate to such a tragic story. The medium can easily be used to shield reality rather than to present it. Perhaps the worst part: It’s not far-fetched to assume that this story is not the only example typifying such issues. All we can do is hope they don’t all have the same ending. [↩]
- One part festive, one part written by one of the best basketball writers out there. [↩]
- I know that Will linked to this last week, but in the event you missed it, here it is again. Such quality work—per usual. [↩]
- SB Nation may have had a boat load of garbage posts on the Mayweaher-Pacquiao fight, but don’t let that deter you from checking out this excellent piece of work. [↩]
39 Comments
SCOTT, WHY DO YOU NOT HATE DAVID BLATT???? 🙂
You guys should have a weekly knee-jerk/over-reaction column. I bet Will would excel at it.
Will Actually: David Blatt should be fired before Game 5
Perhaps in the vein of Andrew Sharp’s #HotSportsTakes at Grantland
Thank you, Scott, for giving Bill Simmons his correct props and placing him in proper context. He’s a brilliant writer and that’s just one part of a pretty outrageous skill set. I never mind a homer who freely acknowledges “I’m a homer, sports in this one city is part of who I am and what I obsess about.” A person who’s smart and funny is fun to talk to, unless your own massive insecurity makes you anxiously monitor everything anyone from somewhere else says about your city and its players.
“A person who’s smart and funny is fun to talk to, unless your own massive insecurity makes you anxiously monitor everything anyone from somewhere else says about your city and its players.”
Precisely.
You can’t see me right now, Harv, but I’m giving you a standing ovation. And everyone in my office is looking at me and wondering what I am cheering about.
I’ll say it here too. I find it interesting that Blatt is getting crucified by the media for this. How do we know the play Blatt drew up wouldn’t have worked as well? Does Norman Dale get crucified in “Hoosiers” when he originally draws up the play for someone else and Jimmy Chitwood vetoes him? It’s getting annoying that every Cavaliers win in the playoffs seem to get tainted with some B.S. story from the media (not saying WFNY is doing this… they’re not, just speaking in generalities).
Agree full-heartedly. He’s obnoxious and a blowhard, but that is part of what made him successful in the first place (and thinking his way is the only way). Gets him in trouble at times, but it would be hard to see his successes and not think that he has earned the entitlement to a large degree.
Cavs Tie-In: Same goes for LeBron having a voice on the final play. He’s earned the right to have that voice (as Larry Bird did when he vetoed Jones and the number of other cases that are coming up now). I don’t think the Cavs have to give the ball to LeBron in that scenario, but I don’t think it’s worth getting riled up over either.
I want to reply to you here, but I also don’t want to spoil my thoughts for tomorrow’s WWW. Lets just say I mostly agree with you and I’ll go into more detail tomorrow morning.
for those of us who endured cubicle life at the turn of the century, before podcasts (or really, before EVERYONE being allowed to listen to music at their desk {if its at a low volume, Milton}), there was Bill Simmons, 7000 word articles, and a whole lot of 30 minute “restroom breaks”
I hope he doesn’t go somewhere I’d have to pay for his content every month, but if he did, I would completely understand the reasoning behind it. Vaya con dios Simmons. Thanks for making cubicle life bearable
on top of that, it’s as if ONLY the Cavaliers ever have a team huddle where a player thinks something other than what the coach draws up will work.
I can’t stand Bill Simmons but i’m not blind and or dumb. I respect his relevance, his intelligence, and his access. His website has always had something for me, and I will follow him wherever he goes. ESPN never seems to understand they are built on the backs of dudes like Simmons, and when they leave, the network suffers.
the Cavs DO have to give the ball to LeBron. You know that.
I once coached a gifted player who was afraid to take a penalty kick (after extra-time). But i made her do it because if we lost, and she didn’t shoot, I would have been excoriated by the fans and other players. And the whole team – including that player – would always wonder, “what if?”
btw – she missed the PK and we lost.
worst thing that ever happened to LeBron’s career was when Donyell missed the corner 3 in game2 of the ’07 Detroit series. media jumped down his throat and he feels like he HAS to take those shots now even though Marshall was wide-friggin’-open.
Steve Kerr has been mentioned.
Robert Horry has had Kobe/Shaq/Duncan/Olajuwon/et cetera on his teams but gotten to take those last shots.
Bruce Bowen has made his share of corner-daggers in near-end game situations.
Best player does NOT equal best shot at all times. If a team is willing to single LeBron, then it can work. And, I think Blatt was smart to let him do it when he demanded it. I also think that if he uses him as a decoy next time, then that will be a smart play off this smoke.
#Sandbagging
I hate the media frenzy as well, but in all fairness though, Lebron is feeding the media beast. I still can’t figure out why he would have come out and volunteered that he vetoed the coach’s play (hitting the buzzer beater was ego soothe enough one would think). He’s basically said similar things earlier in the season when he said he calls his own plays sometimes.
The flaunted insubordination sure doesn’t help with the public emasculation of Blatt or at least the portrayal by the media that the players aren’t keen on the guy.
Absolutely agree, CB. There was no reason for LeBron to make that public. The truth might have gotten out anyway, but it seemed that LBJ wanted to deliberately stick it to his coach.
I don’t disagree with what James did, but sometimes it’s best to just shut up.
Enjoyed the article, also loved some of the articles linked, like the one on ESPNW. Keep this up!
I’ve had so many friends over the years, smartasses who remind me of Simmons. I don’t mind his style, albeit in moderate doses. He’s opinionated but not a blowhard, not just a scream over you buffoon like the local guy Booms who was just fired. If you listen to his podcasts he’s quite rational in the face of good counter arguments. For example, his opinion about Kyrie’s game has completely changed in the last season and he freely admits why his prior thinking was wrong.
It wasn’t that uncommon in my office to see people walking into the restroom with a rolled up stack of papers that you knew was the latest Bill Simmons column. A half hour later they’d return to their desk, and then we would talk about the column. Those things were absolute destination water cooler reading.
With less than 1 second on the clock don’t overthink it – give it to the best player on the planet who has hit those type of shots in the playoffs before. I don’t see any deviation from that as defensible
Really? He actually has a very low percentage of makes for those kind of shots in the playoffs. Definitely one of those situations where you remember a guy as clutch because you remember the shots he made, but forget the shots that he missed.
spot on. He is much better (in my opinion) in his podcast than in print. maybe it’s because he can’t hide behind the page, but I do enjoy his podcasts a lot. And without question he knows his stuff. But that’s why i continue to consume his content. He is enlightening, even if i can’t stand the delivery at times.
Excellent… I give you permission to use my Jimmy Chitwood analogy 🙂
See http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/5/11/8584749/lebron-james-michael-jordan-game-winning-shots
“In the playoffs LeBron has now taken 10 potential go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime. He’s connected on six of them, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Jordan was 5-of-11 in such situations during his career.”
Apologies, I missed seeing that. I saw somewhere that he had 3 game-winning shots and figured that was it. Still though, I am in favor of LeBron passing to an open player if he is a player who doesn’t fear the moment, and I feel like this Cavs team has so many more guys like that than previous Cavs teams. I trust Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, and even Iman Shumpert to take the last shot. I think they are guys who relish those situations.
I agree that Lebron should have the ball and the option to defer the shot to someone else – he thrives in that situation. But Blatt’s original plan precluded him having the ball (inbounds, with a chance to score)
With 1.5 seconds left, I agree that’s not smart…. with more time on the clock it makes sense because the guy inbounding the ball can usually get it back pretty easily.
Flow charts are useful imo https://waitingfornextyear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Panic-Flow-Chart.001.jpg
Bosh passed to an over-the-hill Ray Allen for one of those shots as well… didn’t take the ball up himself.
I’d been thinking about that Donyell Marshall shot all day… the media shamed LeBron for a while so that he thought he couldn’t pass the ball for the final shot. Turns out LeBron CAN pass it… just hopefully to a better three-point shooter than the Cavs’ version of Donyell Marshall.
Be honest, if you saw him kick it out to J.R. Smith in a similar situation, would your heart not leap with joy and expectation? Dude lives for those moments. Donyell Marshall apparently lived for cake, pie, and ice cream.
I don’t get the Simmons-as-visionary thing. 30 for 30? Yeah, cause nobody ever did sport documentaries before. Grantland? Get good writers to write for your publication is a pretty obvious journalism business plan. He does deserve credit that he pulled it all off and convinced a lot of talented people to get on board, but that’s about all I’ll give him. Oh, and rumor has it that Grantland isn’t exactly as successful as some like to believe.
Yes to JR (although he was due for a miss after nailing 3 in a row in the 4th quarter), no to Irving given the lack of lift on his shot due to foot/knee issues.
Really? All this Simmons love. Sorry, don’t see it.
Id roll ’em up then tuck it up the sleeve of my button down because walking through the hallway with it in plain sight was a dead giveaway. Thats hilarious you say that
No to Shump if he’s going to try to dunk…
That’s awesome.
Moz-Lob for the win!!!
articles – like CBS comedies, he played into the lowest common denominator with his old-school articles. he was far less insufferable then (as his teams weren’t good yet and he was a nobody). his articles took a dive after Page2 died, but his stuff was must-read back in the day.
30for30 – he made sports documentaries a series based item and played into many fan specific questions rather than just generic story-telling. he also (according to Vanity Fair) was a major component in keeping them going when ESPN wanted to scrap them after the initial few.
G/L – he convinced some fairly big heavyweights to sign on the dotted line. I don’t like the overall style of G/L and basically just read a few specific writers, so cannot speak to the overall success.
Podcasts – one of the first (if not the first) major sportscaster to have a regular podcast and drive that media. I don’t like podcasts all that much, but it’s incredibly popular and he was one of the driving forces.
Many of what people don’t like about him I completely agree with, but he should get credit for the things that he drove too.