Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – It’s natural to doubt yourself, especially during times of struggle. We all deal with it during our lives. How you respond to doubt reveals a lot about your character.
Cavaliers head coach Larry Drew doubted himself and admitted it publicly.
"I don't know if I ever want to be a head coach again after this year," Drew told Joe Vardon and Jeff Lloyd of The Athletic.
"I wasn't looking to do this. I was not looking to do this at all," he added. "But it happened. Ain't a whole lot you can do about it."
Drew was and will continue to get criticized for those comments. He was thrown into a job he wasn’t expecting to have six games into the season. His team has lost 18 of its’ last 20 games. He’s frustrated just like the fans, players and anyone else who has a vested interest in the Cavaliers. He went out of his way to discuss his position with the Cavaliers and how much he enjoys coaching before Friday’s game against Miami.
“I wanted to be perfectly clear that I enjoy coaching,” Drew said. “I love what I do. I love coming to work everyday. I love the fact that my staff comes in every single day and works hard.”
Coaches and players are usually criticized for not being honest. People don’t like cliché answers or ‘coach speak.’ Drew was honest with the media. It may not be what you wanted to hear and it probably wasn’t encouraging to the locker room, but it was honest.
Plenty of fans have called the Cavaliers ‘unwatchable’ this season. Their 10-41 and four-straight NBA Finals runs feels like a decade ago. This year has been painful to watch. Can you imagine having to deal with it on a daily basis? Sure, Drew gets paid well. That doesn’t make the daily grind of being a head coach in the NBA any easier. If the losing has taken a toll on the fan base, imagine what it’s done to Drew and this team? He shouldn’t get your sympathy, but it’s easy to criticize someone from afar, without thinking it through. Drew probably won’t be the head coach of the Cavaliers next season and his comments are one of the last seasons why that’s the case.
“I’m very grateful for the fact that Koby Altman and Dan Gilbert have given me this opportunity,” Drew said Friday. “As we move forward I will definitely try and be the best coach that I possibly can be.”
