John Beilein was unable to make it through a full season in his first year as an NBA head coach, and his inability to relate to his players appears to have been the biggest reason for that. While Beilein insisted he misspoke last month when he called his players “thugs,” that was ultimately the beginning of the end for him with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Athletic published an in-depth look at what went wrong with Beilein in his first NBA coaching gig, and it’s clear the infamous film session on Jan. 8 became a huge issue for Cavs players. During that session, Beilein called his players “thugs, and he later apologized and said he meant to call them “slugs” in reference to their slow play. Several players didn’t accept the explanation or the apology, according to The Athletic.
Even after Beilein apologized, some Cavs players reportedly began taunting him by intentionally playing songs that included the word “thug” when Beilein was present. They apparently did this on numerous occasions.
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Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 2/19/20
