Filed under: Cavaliers, Pacers, NBA RumorsThe Cleveland Cavaliers made a lot of headlines during their coaching search this past summer, most of which centered on team owner Dan Gilbert's failed pursuit of Michigan State's Tom Izzo. But before Byron Scott officially accepted the job in late June, the Cavaliers reached out to Larry Bird, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
Bird quickly rejected the Cavaliers' inquiry early in the process, sources told Stein, opting instead to remain in his current role as team president of the Indiana Pacers. Bird, 53, has apparently ruled out ever returning to the sidelines as a coach, citing health and family reasons. Even so, it's not surprising the Cavaliers made the call.
Gilbert's fascination with Izzo aside, the Cavaliers were thought to be targeting coaches with NBA playing experience in order to appease LeBron James -- and who better to impress James than Bird, the only person in history to have won both the NBA's Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year award.
Bird's experience as an NBA head coach lasted only three seasons, but in that span he led the Pacers to three conference finals appearances, two division titles and one NBA Finals berth. He stepped down in 2000 before moving to the front office in 2003, where he's held the role of president of basketball operations ever since.
Would Bird's presence have convinced James to re-sign with the Cavaliers? We may never know for sure, but considering the lack of communication James had with the Cavaliers' front office during their coaching search and prior to announcing his intention to leave, it seems likely his decision to sever ties with Cleveland was already made.
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