David Blatt has more on his mind than LeBron James. The new Cavaliers coach – a wildly successful coach in Europe before coming over to the United States – talked to Israeli newspaper Globes about the current wave of fighting in Gaza between Israeli forces and Hamas, saying he supports the operation.
“In my opinion, this war is Israel’s most justified war I can remember in recent years,” said Blatt, an American Jew whose last coaching stint was in Israel. “I’m really sorry about what’s happening in Gaza, but there’s no doubt that we had to act there, so that Israel will have quiet there once and for all, and we can live in peace.”
In recent weeks, NBA stars Dwight Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire have tweeted — then back away from — statements of support for Palestine. Blatt said he detects more pro-Israel sentiment.
“There’s support, although sometimes it’s not enough,” he said. “In my opinion, though, there’s more support this time than before.”