Larry Bird was sought out by the Cavaliers
In their search for an impressive head coach to entice LeBron James to stay in Cleveland, the Cleveland Cavaliers organization reached out to none other than Larry Bird, according to ESPN.
The Cavaliers eventually hired Byron Scott on 1 July as their head coach and James left the team to join the Miami Heat on 8 July.
Bird, currently the head of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers and one of the greatest NBA players of all time, reportedly took the call but declined the offer, citing the desire
to continue in his current role. The three-time former MVP, who also cited health and family concerns, was simply not interested in a return to coaching.
The three-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star was the head coach for the Pacers for three years starting in 1997. In his brief coaching career, the former Celtic did a remarkable job,
bringing his team to the Eastern Conference Finals twice and the NBA Finals once. His career record as a coach is an impressive 147-67. He retired from coaching after the three seasons and was replaced by Isiah Thomas.
After last year’s play-offs, the Cavaliers then-coach Mike Brown was fired and the search for a replacement got underway. With James now a free-agent, the Cavaliers wanted to do everything
they could to impress the two-time reigning MVP to stay in Cleveland. James had made it clear that he wanted a former player as a coach, unlike Brown, who had never played in the NBA.
While Byron Scott, a former player and a coach with ten years of experience, was eventually selected, some other options were Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw and Michigan
State’s Tom Izzo. It was never disclosed that Bird was offered the position.
Scott has won three NBA championships as a player, coached the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in the 2002 and 2003 play-offs, and received coach of the year honours in 2008.
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