James Posey helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win their much-elusive first NBA title in 2016 as an assistant coach. But of course, it wasn't easy, especially with the endless media coverage of LeBron James looming on the entire squad.
Writing on Basketballballnews.com, Posey opened up about what it was like operating in the media environment that surrounds LeBron. He explained that LeBron's presence inevitably creates a “circus.” He, however, clarified that it was a positive thing.
“When you have the best player in the league, every station you turn to on TV, he’s gonna be on there and his team’s gonna be on there. It’s a circus, but it’s a good circus. Wherever ‘Bron goes, he wins. Wherever he goes, the media follows. They wanna be able to say they covered the team, even before the wins start coming, just to say they did it. ‘Bron expects to contend every year, which creates those championship expectations. “
Posey compared to their situation when he played for the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics, where he won his second championship. There was plenty of media coverage for the resurgence of one of the NBA's most storied franchises, with bona fide and marketable superstars like LeBron in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen at the helm.
But while the Celtics worked under tremendous pressure, Posey admitted that it was a “different story” with the Cavaliers. Despite advancing to the NBA Finals in his first season as coach, David Blatt was ultimately fired for failing to secure a championship. With the media swarming and fans even hungrier for a title, Posey credited LeBron and newly installed coach Tyronn Lue with righting the ship, eventually bringing the organization's first championship.
Posey noted that not only was the success a tremendous relief but an indication of LeBron James' maturity.
Follow Us
Subscribe