David Blatt facts for kids
Blatt as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014
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| Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 22, 1959 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American / Israeli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Framingham South (Framingham, Massachusetts) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Princeton (1977–1981) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1981 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1981–1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1993–2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Ligat HaAl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1984 | Maccabi Haifa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Maccabi Netanya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Hapoel Galil Elyon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Ironi Nahariya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Maccabi Hadera | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Hapoel Galil Elyon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Hapoel Galil Elyon (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Hapoel Galil Elyon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Dynamo St. Petersburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Benetton Treviso | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Efes Pilsen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Dynamo Moscow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Aris | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Darüşşafaka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As head coach:
As assistant coach:
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Medals
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David Michael Blatt (born May 22, 1959) is an Israeli-American basketball expert. He used to be a coach and a player.
Blatt played as a point guard (a player who leads the team's offense) at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981. He also won a gold medal with the U.S. national team at the 1981 Maccabiah Games. After that, he played professional basketball in Israel for nine years. An injury ended his playing career, and he then became a full-time coach.
He is known as one of the most successful Israeli-American coaches in European basketball. As a coach, Blatt has won many awards. These include the Israeli Super League Coach of the Year four times (1996, 2002, 2011, and 2014). He was also the Russian Super League Coach of the Year (2005) and the EuroLeague Coach of the Year (2014). Blatt coached the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. He led them to the 2015 NBA Finals in his first season. He was fired the next year, even though the team was doing well. After that, he went back to coaching in Europe.
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About David Blatt
David Blatt was born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts. His parents were William F. Blatt and Lillian Siegal Blatt. David is Jewish.
When he was in college at Princeton University, a coach from an Israeli team asked him to play in Israel for the summer. This summer experience at a Kibbutz (a community settlement) called Gan Shmuel changed his life. In 1981, he moved to Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces (the Israeli military).
In 1991, Blatt married Kineret, who was also a basketball player he coached. They have four children: Shani, Adi, Ela, and Tamir Blatt. Tamir is also a professional basketball player. In 2023, David Blatt was chosen to light a torch at a special ceremony in Israel. This was to celebrate Israel's 75th birthday.
Playing Basketball
Blatt played basketball at Framingham South High School. He was also the class president there.
He played college basketball at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981. He was the team captain for the Princeton Tigers.
He also played in the Maccabiah Games for the USA national team. They won a gold medal in 1981. After this, Blatt started playing professional basketball in Israel. He played for 9 out of the next 12 years. His playing career ended due to an injury, and he then started coaching.
Coaching Basketball
After he stopped playing, Blatt became an assistant coach for Hapoel Galil Elyon in 1993. During that season, the head coach was fired, and Blatt took over. The next year, he became the Israeli Coach of the Year in 1996. He also became an assistant coach for the Israeli national team. Later, he coached the Russian national basketball team for six years. They won the EuroBasket 2007 championship.
Coaching in Europe
In 1999, Blatt became an assistant coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv. His team won the Israeli League and Israeli Cup. They also reached second place in the EuroLeague, a top European basketball competition.
From 2000 to 2004, he continued as an assistant coach. During this time, Maccabi Tel Aviv won a EuroLeague title in 2004. They also won the SuproLeague title in 2001. In 2002, he became the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv and won his second Israeli "Coach of the Year" award.
In 2004, he moved to Russia to coach Dynamo Saint Petersburg. He won the FIBA EuroCup championship with them. He was also named the "Coach of the Year in Russia" for the 2004–05 season.
In 2005, he became the head coach of Benetton Treviso in Italy. He led them to win the Italian Championship. In the same year, he also became the head coach of the Russian national basketball team. With Russia, he won the EuroBasket 2007 by beating Spain in the final.
In 2010, Blatt coached Aris in Greece for a short time. Then, he returned to coach Maccabi Tel Aviv again. He led the Russian national team to a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2014, Blatt led Maccabi Tel Aviv to an amazing comeback win in the EuroLeague semifinal. They then won the championship by beating Real Madrid. After this big win, Blatt left the team to try coaching in the NBA.
Coaching in the NBA
On June 20, 2014, David Blatt was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. After joining the Cavaliers, he was named the EuroLeague Coach of the Year.
In March 2015, Blatt won his first "Eastern Conference Coach of the Month" award. The Cavaliers were doing very well. In his first season, the Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference title. This was their first time since 2007. Blatt and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors were the first rookie NBA coaches to face each other in the NBA Finals since 1947. The Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in the Finals.
On January 22, 2016, the Cavaliers fired Blatt. Even though the team had the best record in their conference, the general manager said it was because of "a lack of fit." Blatt was replaced by his assistant, Tyronn Lue. Lue then led the Cavaliers to win their first NBA championship that season. Even though Blatt only coached for half of that championship season, the Cavaliers sent him a 2016 NBA Championship ring. He first said no, but then accepted it.
Return to Europe and Health
On June 1, 2016, Blatt became the new head coach for Darüşşafaka in Turkey. In his first season, his team reached the EuroLeague quarterfinals. In his second season, Blatt won the 2018 EuroCup Championship. This made him one of only two coaches to win the EuroLeague, EuroBasket, EuroCup, and an Olympic medal.
In 2018, Blatt became the head coach for Olympiacos in Greece. In October 2019, he left Olympiacos. He announced that he had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition that affects the nervous system.
After Coaching
On December 18, 2019, Blatt announced he was retiring from coaching. The New York Knicks then hired him as a consultant. His contract with the Knicks ended after the 2019-2020 season.
In May 2020, he became a co-owner of a Czech basketball club called BC Brno.
During the 2022–23 season, Blatt worked as a consultant for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also served as a consultant for the Canadian national basketball team during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. For the upcoming season, Blatt will be a consultant for the Arizona Wildcats.
Awards and Honors
- EuroBasket 2007: Gold medal
- EuroBasket 2011: Bronze medal
- 2012 Olympics: Bronze medal
- 2014 EuroLeague champion
- 2014 EuroLeague Coach of the Year
- 2014 Order of Friendship Award winner
- 2018 EuroCup champion
- 2020 Bonei Zion Prize (an award for people who have contributed to Israel)
See also
- Sports in Israel
- List of select Jewish basketball players
- List of foreign NBA coaches
