David Blatt

**David Michael Blatt** (; born May 22, 1959) is an Israeli-American professional basketball coach. He is currently the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Blatt played point guard at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981. He played in the Maccabiah Games for the USA national team that won a gold medal in 1981. He then played professional basketball in Israel for nine of the next 12 years. An injury ended his playing career and he began coaching full-time.

Blatt is one of the most successful American coaches in European basketball history. As a coach, Blatt has been the Israeli League Coach of the Year four times (1996, 2002, 2011, and 2014). He was the Russian Super League Coach of the Year (2005). In the 2012 Summer Olympics he led the Russian national team to win a Bronze medal. Blatt was also the Euroleague Coach of the Year (2014). He took over as Cleveland's head coach in 2014 His lifetime .639 winning percentage after the 2014–15 season was the best of any Cavaliers head coach in team history.

Blatt was born on May 22, 1959, in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts. As a freshman he played junior varsity before becoming one of Framingham South's top players.

On August 19, 2019, he announced that he has Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, the most advanced form of the autoimmune disease.

## Infobox (basketball biography)

- **name**: David Blatt
- **image**: David Blatt Cavs 2014.jpg
- **image size**: 240
- **caption**: Blatt as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014
- **height ft**: 6
- **height in**: 3
- **birth place**: Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
- **nationality**: American / Israeli
- **high school**: Framingham High School, Framingham South
(Framingham, Massachusetts)
- **college**: Princeton Tigers men's basketball, Princeton (1977–1981)
- **draft year**: 1981
- **career position**: Point guard
- **career start**: 1981
- **career end**: 1993
- **coach start**: 1993
- **coach end**: 2019
- **years1**: 1981–1984
- **team1**: Maccabi Haifa B.C., Maccabi Haifa
- **years2**: 1986–1987
- **team2**: Hapoel Jerusalem B.C., Hapoel Jerusalem
- **years3**: 1987–1989
- **team3**: Barak Netanya B.C., Maccabi Netanya
- **years4**: 1989–1990
- **team4**: Hapoel Galil Elyon
- **years5**: 1990–1991
- **team5**: Hapoel Jerusalem
- **years6**: 1991–1992
- **team6**: Ironi Nahariya
- **years7**: 1992–1993
- **team7**: Maccabi Hadera
- **cyears1**: 1993–1994
- **cteam1**: Hapoel Galil Elyon
- **cyears2**: 1994–1995
- **cteam2**: Hapoel Galil Elyon (assistant)
- **cyears3**: 1995–1999
- **cteam3**: Hapoel Galil Elyon
- **cyears4**: 1999–2001
- **cteam4**: Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., Maccabi Tel Aviv (assistant)
- **cyears5**: 2001–2003
- **cteam5**: Maccabi Tel Aviv
- **cyears6**: 2003–2004
- **cteam6**: Maccabi Tel Aviv (assistant)
- **cyears7**: 2004–2005
- **cteam7**: BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg, Dynamo St. Petersburg
- **cyears8**: 2005–2007
- **cteam8**: Treviso Basket, Benetton Treviso
- **cyears9**: 2007–2008
- **cteam9**: Anadolu Efes S.K., Efes Pilsen
- **cyears10**: 2008–2009
- **cteam10**: PBC Dynamo Moscow, Dynamo Moscow
- **cyears11**: 2010
- **cteam11**: Aris B.C., Aris
- **cyears12**: 2010–2014
- **cteam12**: Maccabi Tel Aviv
- **cyears13**: –
- **cteam13**: Cleveland Cavaliers
- **cyears14**: 2016–2018
- **cteam14**: Darüşşafaka S.K., Darüşşafaka
- **cyears15**: 2018–2019
- **cteam15**: Olympiacos B.C., Olympiacos
- **highlights**: **As head coach:**
* EuroLeague champion (2013–14 Euroleague, 2014)
* EuroLeague Coach of the Year Award, EuroLeague Coach of the Year (2014)
* NBA Champion (2016 NBA Finals, 2016) (Received Ring despite being fired mid season)
* EuroCup Basketball, EuroCup champion (2017–18 EuroCup Basketball, 2018)
* FIBA EuroChallenge champion (2004–05 FIBA Europe League, 2005)
* Lega Basket Serie A, Italian League champion (2006)
* Italian Basketball Cup, Italian Cup winner (2007)
* Adriatic League champion (2012)
* Russian Gold Basket awards, Russian Super League Coach of the Year (2005)
* 5× Israeli Basketball Super League, Israeli Super League champion (2002, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2014)
* 6× Israeli Basketball Cup, Israeli Cup winner (2002, 2003, 2011–2014)
* 4× Israeli Basketball Premier League Coach of the Year, Israeli Super League Coach of the Year (1996, 2002, 2011, 2014)
* Order of Friendship, Russian Federation Order of Friendship award recipient (2014)
**As assistant coach:**
* 4x Israel Basketball Premier League, Israeli Basketball League champion (1993, 1999-2001)
* 3x Israeli Basketball Cup, Israeli Cup champion (1999-2001)
* SuproLeague champion (2000–01 SuproLeague, 2001)
* EuroLeague champion (2003–04 Euroleague, 2004)