Tom Izzo tried to talk to LeBron James before turning down the Cavaliers coaching job but the superstar would not take his calls, Yahoo! Sports reports.
Izzo “considered taking the Cavs job even though LeBron James not only wouldn’t commit to returning but wouldn’t even get on the telephone with his would-be coach,” the report says. “Izzo said he spoke to members of LeBron’s vast inner circle but never got a word with the King himself.”
“I spoke to all the people around him,” Izzo said Wednesday on the “Dan Patrick Show,” according to SportsRadioInterviews.com. “From (owner) Dan Gilbert, to some of the people that he deals with on a daily basis; the GM at Cleveland and friends of his. Just kinda indirectly.”
Not knowing James’ intentions heading into possible free agency July 1, Izzo chose to stay at Michigan State instead of taking a reported $6 million a year from Cleveland.
Asked what he thought James would do, Izzo told Patrick, “He’s got a tough decision to make and it’s something that he’s gonna go through just like I did. His will probably be a little longer. … I think he’s gonna look at that very honestly and he’s probably gonna get tugged by the same things I got tugged by. His loyalty to the place.
“To him it’s that whole state and what he’s done, but I think he’s gotta make the best decision for himself, his family, and maybe what will help him in the future.”
According to reports, James told friends he “100 percent” supported the Cavaliers’ pursuit of Izzo.
“With no assurance from, or even conversation with James, this job is a risky one (albeit with a $6 million a year salary),” the report says. “Almost every other successful coach would have run from it.”