David Blatt continues to pursue a return to the NBA. Blatt was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through his second season with the franchise. The Cavaliers went on to win the 2016 Finals.
“I have an end game and that end game is that I would really like to go back to the NBA,” Blatt told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
“There were no changes in the NBA this year from a coaching standpoint and my real goal is to try next year to get back into the league as a head coach. It may happen and it may not happen. But I wanted to leave that door open for myself if the opportunity arises.”
Blatt turned down a three-year offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv to remain with Darussafaka for another season.
“With my long and very good relationship with Maccabi, I just felt that it wouldn’t be right on my part to take over a program that really needs a long term commitment and overhaul and then after one year, if I decide to, take advantage of an option and leave for the NBA,” explained Blatt.
“I don’t think that is what the program needs. I didn’t feel good about that. I thought about it very seriously, but in my mind it was a decision to step away from what my end game goal was. The idea of coming back to Maccabi obviously interested me greatly, but ultimately I decided that I wasn’t willing to give up on that dream just yet. If it happens that will be justified and if it doesn’t happen at least I was honest with myself about going after it.”
Blatt was a finalist a year ago for openings with the Knicks, Rockets and Kings.
“Sometimes you can be right there and at the last moment you don’t get it and that’s life,” said Blatt. “That is the realistic and competitive environment of trying to get a job of that nature. There is no guarantee.”
